Ozzy Makes Barbara Walters' List
Mon, Dec 2, 2002 11:27 AM PDT

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - There's just something about the end of the year that makes people want to make lists, whether it's for holiday shopping or yet another 10 best or worst piece.

ABC's Barbara Walters is making her own list and on Wednesday, Dec. 18 will reveal who she thinks is the most fascinating person of 2002 in an hour-long special at 9 p.m. ET.

While we don't know who her top pick is, the other nine are: diet doctor Robert Atkins; Academy Award-winner Halle Berry; Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hughes; "Spider-Man" star Tobey Maguire; Maryland Police Chief Charles Moose; talk show host and Oprah Winfrey friend Dr. Phil McGraw; Ozzy Osbourne; Queen Elizabeth, who is celebrating her jubilee this year; and Enron whistle-blower Sherron Watkins.

This is the 10th year that Walters has produced her list. Along with her yearly Oscar show, it is consistently one of ABC's highest rated specials.

http://tv.zap2it.com/news/tvnewsdaily.html?29175

Don't forget, it's in about an hour or so.

Wa'il

Did anyone get a transcript of that? I didn't have cable yet in my new house so I couldn't watch it.

Beth

I didn't see the show, but laughed at the description they gave for Dr Atkins on the local news later that night.

The newscaster was going thru the list of the 10 people....and when she got to Atkins said "Dr Robert Atkins, creator of the all fat diet"!!!!!!!!!!!

I really wish these people would at least act like they know what they're talking aobut!

Hi all,
speaking of Dr Atkins, a couple of weeks ago a so-called medical reporter on our local "sunrise" show claimed that Dr Atkins recently had a heart operation. Does anyone have any info on this, or is the reporter spreading another furphy? I've noticed that a large majority of these so called nutritional "experts"? make stuff up to justify their own beliefs/prejudices. Can anyone enlighten me?

I pulled this off of CNN. Most reports that I had heard handled this very well.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Nutrition expert and author Dr. Robert Atkins, creator of the high-protein/low-carbohydrate "Atkins Diet," was released Wednesday from hospital care and is resting well after his heart stopped, a condition called cardiac arrest.

Atkins was waiting for breakfast at a restaurant near his office last Thursday in Manhattan when he went into cardiac arrest. He was quickly revived by an associate and taken to the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center.

The episode was caused by cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart's ability to pump blood is weakened because of enlargement, thickening or stiffening of the heart muscle.

In Atkins' case, cardiomyopathy was caused by an infection that spread to his heart muscle.

"I have had cardiomyopathy, which is a non-coronary condition and is in no way related to diet," Atkins said in a statement.

A statement by The Atkins Companies also said the hot weather in New York may have been a factor in the cardiac arrest. Temperatures last week in New York were in the 90s.

"We have been treating this condition, cardiomyopathy, for almost two years," said Patrick Fratellone, Atkins' personal physician and cardiologist. "Clearly, his own nutritional protocols have left him, at the age of 71, with an extraordinarily healthy cardiovascular system."

Atkins told CNN, "I want the public to know the truth, not every condition affecting the heart comes from a blockage." He said "a controlled carbohydrate lifestyle really prevents risk factors for heart disease."

Doctors have checked for blockages, Atkins said, "and I don't have any."

Dr. Clyde Yancy, a cardiologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and a member of the American Heart Association's national board of directors, said: "Despite the obvious irony, I believe there is a total disconnect between the cardiac arrest and the health approach he (Atkins) popularizes."

Atkins' doctors have advised him to curtail his travel plans for the next 30 days as a precaution, but Atkins hopes to return to his work within the next week or so.

Paul Wolff, chief executive officer of The Atkins Companies, said: "Up until today, this has been a personal and private family matter for Atkins. It is unfortunate for the family that this has not remained so."

I haven't heard anything about Dr Atkins recently, the article quoted above was from April of this year.

You're right about the timing of this event, however, it was most recently brought up again, last couple of weeks, and probably in response to the AMA's "endorsement" of his diet plan. I heard it on the local news myself, here in Minnesota. In fact, I hadn't even been aware he had a problem until then.

So they must be drudging this up as more negative campaigning.

Thanks heaps for that Sue, I had serious doubts about the veracity of this medico's claims. Typical for this unenlightened person omitting some of the facts, but using other parts to his advantage.