Who is Dr. Robert Atkins?The following is excerpted from his Biography page at Amazon.com.

Specialty: High-protein, low-carbohydrate diet regimen
The Beef: Nine books, two bestsellers
Birth date: October 17, 1930
Birth place: Columbus, Ohio
Died: April 17, 2003 at the age of 72
Education: University of Michigan, B.A. 1951; Cornell University, M.D. 1955
Family Ties: Wife, Veronica
Celebrity Endorsement: Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks told Harper’s Bazaar that she lost 30 pounds on the Atkins diet, and called the doc “a god among men.”

Meet the Author

One of the first diet-book superstars, Dr. Robert Atkins is as controversial as he is adored. He was an ordinary cardiologist and internist when, in 1972, he published the aptly titled Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution. The book, which advocated a high-protein, low-carbohydrate approach to weight loss, became a bona fide phenomenon. Having been read by over 30 million people, people were eating their way to losing weight. Atkins told readers they could eat all the steak and béarnaise sauce they wanted, so long as they skipped the potato and bread. And while millions jumped on the diet, medical critics claimed it risked heart disease and kidney stones.

 

Though the American Medical Association savaged his nutritional theories, millions of dieters around the world tried Atkins’s regimen, and Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution became one of the 50 bestselling books in history. In the early 1980s, Atkins founded The Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine, a facility that synthesizes alternative and mainstream medicine. By 1982, the Center’s staff included an herbalist, an acupuncturist, and a nutritionist who worked with conventional physicians treating disorders ranging from obesity to multiple sclerosis. The Center’s Web site claims to have treated more than 60,000 patients since it opened.

Over the years, Atkins has evolved into a brand name, manufacturing and selling pre-packaged foods (including cheesecake) along with “vitanutrients” that complement his eponymous diet. The Atkins Center publishes a monthly newsletter, and the doctor himself sees patients on a daily basis (a preliminary consultation runs $295). Atkins also hosts a nationally syndicated radio program called Your Health Choices.

Awards

National Health Federation’s Man of the Year
World Organization of Alternative Medicine’s Recognition of Achievement Award