Robert Atkins (physician)

Lore & Background

At age 12, his family moved to Dayton, Ohio, where his father owned several restaurants. As a teen, he sold shoes at 14 and later worked on a local radio show. Emma C. Götz at Strong Hospital in Rochester, New York, and finishing his residency in cardiology and internal medicine at Columbia University-affiliated hospitals.

His practice initially struggled, and he gained weight and became depressed. After research, he adopted a low-carbohydrate approach published by Alfred W. Pennington, based on World War II research at DuPont. He married his wife, Veronica, when he was 56. In 2002, he went into cardiac arrest, which critics attributed to his diet, but Atkins stated it was caused by a chronic infection.

On April 8, 2003, he was admitted to Weill Cornell Medical Center after slipping on ice and hitting his head, underwent surgery to remove a brain blood clot, fell into a coma, and died on April 17 at age 72. After his death, his widow stated his coronary-artery disease had progressed with a new blockage and that he was taking heart-rhythm medication. His widow refused an autopsy.

Did You Know?

• He initially considered becoming a comedian and worked as a waiter and entertainer in the Adirondacks after college.
• After his death, a medical examiner's report was fraudulently obtained and leaked by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.