NYC Mayor Tries to End Atkins Feud
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By LARRY McSHANE, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - Mayor Michael Bloomberg, embroiled in a battle over remarks he made about diet guru Dr. Robert Atkins, offered his widow a low-carb mea culpa Saturday — an invitation to a steak dinner.



But the mayor, who a day earlier advised an angry Veronica Atkins to "lighten up," didn't deliver an apology himself. Instead, mayoral spokesman Ed Skyler issued a three-sentence statement about the food fight.


"While talking to firefighters about the challenges of losing weight, the mayor made a joke which upset Veronica Atkins," Skyler said. "He never intended to insult her late husband or offend her, and is sorry that has been the result.


"In order to make it up to Mrs. Atkins, the mayor would like to invite her to a steak dinner — no potatoes."


It was unclear if Mrs. Atkins would chew the fat with the mayor. Calls to the offices of Atkins Nutritionals Inc. and a company publicist were not returned Saturday.


The controversial Atkins Diet stresses eating meat, eggs and cheese over high-carbohydrate foods like pasta, potatoes and bread. Bloomberg, during a visit to a Brooklyn firehouse, described Atkins as "fat" and suggested his diet might have led to his death.


Atkins died last year at 72 from head injuries sustained from a fall on an icy sidewalk.


On Friday, an angry Veronica Atkins took the dispute nationwide by appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America" to demand an apology.


"I was very, very hurt," she said. "... And mayor, you did it. Shame on you."


Bloomberg, taping an interview later Friday, said his comments were meant as a joke and there was no need for an apology.

What makes him think firemen like to joke about how old people die, and what has she to "lighten up" about hearing him say that her husband died from stuffing himself with stakes, and that his city's health department is lying about his death certificate and the head injury was BS?

It's not even a funny tasteless joke, but I guess he has a morbid sense of humour, or lack the balls to apologize for acting like a jerk. First he claims it was "off record", now it was intended as a joke... what's next?

Wa'il

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/01/2...g.ap/index.html

Mayor offers Atkins widow low-carb mea culpa

NEW YORK (AP) -- Mayor Michael Bloomberg, embroiled in a battle over remarks he made about diet guru Dr. Robert Atkins, offered his widow a low-carb mea culpa Saturday -- an invitation to a steak dinner.

But the mayor, who a day earlier advised an angry Veronica Atkins to "lighten up," didn't deliver an apology himself. Instead, mayoral spokesman Ed Skyler issued a three-sentence statement about the food fight.

"While talking to firefighters about the challenges of losing weight, the mayor made a joke which upset Veronica Atkins," Skyler said. "He never intended to insult her late husband or offend her, and is sorry that has been the result.

"In order to make it up to Mrs. Atkins, the mayor would like to invite her to a steak dinner -- no potatoes."

It was unclear if Mrs. Atkins would chew the fat with the mayor. Calls to the offices of Atkins Nutritionals Inc. and a company publicist were not returned Saturday.

The controversial Atkins Diet stresses eating meat, eggs and cheese over high-carbohydrate foods like pasta, potatoes and bread. Bloomberg, during a visit to a Brooklyn firehouse, described Atkins as "fat" and suggested his diet might have led to his death.

Atkins died last year at 72 from head injuries sustained from a fall on an icy sidewalk.

On Friday, an angry Veronica Atkins took the dispute nationwide by appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America" to demand an apology.

"I was very, very hurt," she said. "... And mayor, you did it. Shame on you."

Bloomberg, taping an interview later Friday, said his comments were meant as a joke and there was no need for an apology.

He still is acting like a doofus. What a sincere lack of class.

I have to get back at Bloom and gloomberg somehow! I simply cannot believe how tasteless and dumb a mayor of such a great city can be! Besides it belittles the fact that people really do die from simple things like falls and head injuries - through no fault of their own or anyone else's. My husband just today found out that his optometrist died just a few days after we saw him from just such a fall. Poor Mrs. Atkins. Man would I be steamed!

When is the media going to stop saying that "Atkins stresses eating meat, eggs and cheese"? What a crock! I've never eaten so many veggies in my life following Atkins. Every time it looks like lowcarb is finally going mainstream, that phrase pops up again.

And tonight I started watching another program about nutrition and the opeing remarks were, "We've all heard about those FAD diets, Atkins, The Zone, Southbeach..."
I switched the channel.

I hope Mrs. Atkins has better ways to spend her time than spending it with that ignoramous.

judy

Bloomberg's an insensitive jerk. The doctor was this woman's HUSBAND, and Mrs. Atkins has every right to be outraged. I've heard it stated on local talk radio (John Gambling's show) that she's only making such a fuss because she wants to keep the name "Atkins" in the forefront of the news to increase corporate profits. What is WRONG with people?!?!? People may be wealthy and famous, but they still have feelings (OK, maybe not Michael Bloomberg!).

Actually, the numbers are quite interesting...

http://www.nsc.org/lrs/statinfo/odds.htm

1 in 269 people will die as the result of a fall...1 in 6,336 will die as a result of slipping, tripping, or stumbling on level ground, just as Dr. Atkins did. In fact, you are twice as likely to die as a result of a fall, than you are to be hit by a car while walking down the street. 4x more people die from Falls than from Motorcycle Accidents. 2,000 more people die every year as the result of an accidental fall than are murdered with a gun. Chew on that one...

Tread carefully? =P