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Veronica Atkins is the wife of the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins, author of ‘The New Diet Revolution’. It’s good to know that she is carrying on his work and his vision. I found this interview at the ‘Low Carb Newsline‘ and wanted to share it with you. This dietary approach has helped millions around the world control their weight and is often used by fitness enthusiasts to strip their bodies of excess fat (like me!). This way of eating has taken a pounding in recent years but in I have noticed that within the last year or so, it has started to grow in popularity again as more and more independent studies confirm not only its effectiveness, but also its health benefits. This interview took place between Jimmy Moore of ‘Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb‘ and Veronica Atkins in May of 2007 and the full interview can be found here. Here I present what i feel to be the best excerpts from that interview, enjoy it. (This has been published with Jimmy Moore’s permission).

(JM) Did Dr. Atkins have any idea this low-carb diet he stumbled upon decades ago would create such a ruckus? More importantly, did he ever really expect the Atkins diet to be fully embraced by the health and medical community?

(VA) The short answer to both your questions is a resounding “Yes.” Bobby certainly didn’t want to create a ruckus–he hated controversy–but he had no choice. He was ridiculed and alienated by his peers for pointing out that carbohydrate restriction is the single best strategy for treating excessive levels of insulin which leads to diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart disease and even cancer. So, of course, he felt compelled to speak out.

Certainly, he fully believed that the controlled-carb lifestyle would eventually be accepted as a healthy lifestyle choice. How could he not when he saw the evidence in his clinical practice every day where he could reverse Type 2 diabetes and prevent it in those who were at risk of developing it. My husband firmly believed that had mainstream medicine adopted his teachings, the public health crisis that we see today, where obesity and diabetes have reached epidemic proportions, could have been averted.

(JM) That recent JAMA study out of Stanford University in March 2007 showing the Atkins diet was the best among four popular diets for weight loss and improved health after one year certainly gave a huge shot in the arm to the life’s work of your husband as interest in the low-carb approach has been rekindled. Do you see anything else coming up on the horizon in the next year or so from the realm of research, a new book, or even from the entertainment industry that could help continue the rebirth of the Atkins diet?

(VA) Yes, that study was a wonderful validation of Dr. Atkins’ work and I feel certain it will spur many more. Certainly, it lends credence to all of the studies funded to date by the Atkins Foundation which showed similar results.

Many of the initial studies funded by the Foundation have been completed and the results published. For a listing of articles already available, readers can look on the Atkins Foundation’s web site. Several of our investigators will be publishing their findings in the coming year. There is a large two-year NIH study comparing the Atkins diet with a low-fat diet and the results of that should be available this coming year as well.

Gary Taubes, the journalist who wrote the eye-opening article in the New York Times magazine section is coming out with a wonderful new book clarifying much of the history and dogma about our current guidelines and recommendations.

Also, an independent filmmaker named CJ Hunt is finishing a documentary called The Perfect Human Diet which chronicles the evolution of our dietary habits which should be a fascinating account of our eating habits and how they have changed.

(JM) How did it make you feel when the downright malicious lies from anti-Atkins, anti-meat groups like the Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM) came out about your husband’s untimely death following a slip and fall on ice in New York City were plastered all over the news boldly and erroneously reporting that Dr. Atkins had died of a heart attack and was obese? If you could respond directly to those who make such allegations, what would you say to them?

(VA) As you can imagine, it hurt me to the core. I’d ask this group to try and see reason, put aside their agenda and tell the truth. Unfortunately the more I hear about this group, the more I’m convinced that they are fanatics–unwilling and uninterested in seeking the truth.

They certainly showed their true colors when they illegally obtained copies of Dr. Atkins’ medical records following his death and then leaked false information to the press claiming he was obese. When my husband was admitted to the hospital following his accident, he weighed 195 pounds–a healthy weight for a 6’ 2” tall man. The extra weight he gained during his hospital stay was due to an accumulation of body fluids related to his treatment and linked to organ failure. However, this group chose to distort the facts to suit their agenda, which is very disturbing indeed.

Dr. Atkins had suffered from a heart condition called cardiomyopathy–which is a disease of the heart muscle caused in his case by a viral infection and was totally unrelated to his diet. He spoke openly about his condition and did a lot of research, publishing his findings to help others with this condition.

(JM) What are the qualities you best remember him for and is there anything about the real Dr. Atkins that you wish people would never forget?

(VA) I wish people knew how hard he fought to change things. Even though he knew that by speaking out he would be attacked and vilified by his detractors, he never wavered in his convictions. In his monthly newsletter, writings, radio show and media appearances over the years he spoke out about many of the issues that only now are making headlines: the dangers of trans fats, the over-prescribing of hormones, antibiotics, statin drugs, and the consumption of denatured foods such as white flour, sugar and high fructose corn syrup –which make up the majority of products that line our supermarket shelves–and their role in the obesity epidemic; he brought to light scientific evidence that heart disease is not caused by cholesterol when it was widely accepted that it was the #1 cause.

He called to task some formidable opponents–the food companies, the pharmaceutical giants, the FDA, the ADA, and the AMA–and exposed their deceptive and in many cases dangerous practices. And he was instrumental in changing policy that led to the passing of patients’ rights bills.

I’d also like people to know that he was a brilliant clinician and diagnostician and not just a “diet doc,” a label that stuck due to the phenomenal success of his Atkins Diet Revolution books. In his clinical practice, he treated a myriad of illnesses and succeeded in weaning patients off of their medications using diet and correcting nutritional deficiencies–something that gave him enormous satisfaction. He used the low-carb approach as the basis for all of his treatments.

****end of interview****

I think it’s great that Veronica is carrying on the work of her late husband. Not everyone wants to formulate their own opinions based on experience, some would rather buy into unfounded claims against carbohydrate restriction. Well all I can say, especially if you are overweight, is that it’s your loss. Seriously, if you would like to lose weight and feel good about yourself (and that’s the most important thing in the world), why not give it a try? You don’t have to go hungry and you’ll have some really tasty treats to enjoy. Do your own research, find some delicious recipes and watch the fat melt away. Get active and enjoy your own body!

If you want to read the full version of this interview, go here. Also, check out Veronica’s own website for more on her important work. Thanks again to Jimmy to publish these excerpts.

Mark McManus

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