I don’t know why this is coming out now, but I’m not surprised by it:
Dr. Robert Atkins, whose popular diet stresses protein-rich meat and cheese over carbohydrates, weighed 258 pounds at his death and had a history of heart disease, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
Atkins died last April at age 72 after being injured in a fall on an icy street.
Before his death, he had suffered a heart attack, congestive heart failure and hypertension, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a report by the city medical examiner.
At 258 pounds, the 6-foot-tall Atkins would have qualified as obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s body-mass index calculator.
Diet is one potential factor in heart disease, but infections also can contribute to it.
Stuart Trager, chairman of the Atkins Physicians Council in New York, told the Journal that Atkins’ heart disease stemmed from cardiomyopathy, a condition thought to result from a viral infection.
Atkins’ weight was due to bloating associated with his condition, and he had been much slimmer during most of his life, Trager said.
Yes. Of course a viral infection is to blame.
I have a bad feeling that we’re going to see a lot of heart attacks a few years down the road.
I’m not sure what you’re getting at here..
I’m skeptical of the long-term health benefits of this diet–at least the way the diet is being portrayed by the fast food industry.
Why are you skeptical?
In any event, relying on advertising for your opinions on nutrition is never a good idea.