Atkins not obese, hospital file shows

USA TODAY

Feb. 10, 2004 08:55 PM

http://www.azcentral.com/news/artic...-atkins-ON.html

Diet guru Robert Atkins was not obese at the end of his life, according to a hospital record obtained by USA TODAY from his widow.

Millions of people who follow Atkins' low-carb, meat-lovers' diet were caught off guard by a report Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal that the cardiologist weighed 258 at the time of his death and had heart disease. The new document shows that the 6-foot-tall Atkins weighed 195 on admission to the hospital after a fall on April 8, 2003. He went into a coma and died April 17 at age 72.

Atkins' critics say his diet may lead to heart disease and bone or kidney problems. Short-term studies have shown that dieters lose weight on the plan without raising their cholesterol; in fact, they lower some heart-disease risk factors. Long-term research is just beginning.

The Journal cited information from the New York medical examiner suggesting that Atkins had a history of heart attack, congestive heart failure and high blood pressure.

In response, Veronica Atkins issued a statement that described in detail her husband's health, acknowledging that he had "some progression of coronary artery disease" including "new blockage of a secondary artery." But she said his heart condition, cardiomyopathy, resulted from a viral infection that weakened his heart and disrupted its normal rhythm, leading to a widely publicized cardiac arrest in 2002. His heart condition was not related to his diet, she said.

Stuart Trager, a surgeon and consultant for the Atkins companies, said Atkins' weight ballooned in the hospital because of fluid retention from organ failure.

The medical examiner's report was supplied to the "Journal" by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a group that advocates vegetarianism and is among the diet's critics. Director Neal Barnard said the group decided to publicize the report because Atkins' "health history was used to promote his terribly unhealthy eating plan." Atkins' Web site says he had normal coronary arteries.

Keith Ayoob, a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association, said the diet doctor "spoon-fed us a diet that's high in saturated fat for a long time. I never recommended it before this, and I certainly wouldn't start anybody on it now."

But Gary Foster, clinical director of the Weight and Eating Disorders Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, said Atkins' condition is irrelevant when it comes to the potential safety and effectiveness of the diet.

Foster is leading government-sponsored research on the Atkins diet. "You need to study diets to see if they are safe and effective," he said. "You don't base your conclusions on the experiences of one person, no matter how famous."

So, in a coma, Dr Atkins gains 60 lbs while on an IV drip using the amount of glucose standard in a Physician's Concept of Responsible Medicine.

I thought the PCRM was against meat and for starch?

What really ticked me off last night was that while they were saying this, they were running file footage of Dr. Atkins, who did not look obese!

Atkins' widow criticizes obesity report

Doctor's widow, supporter accuse paper of distorting facts

Tuesday, February 10, 2004 Posted: 10:17 PM EST (0317 GMT)

http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/02/1...idow/index.html

(CNN) -- The widow of Dr. Robert Atkins and the chairman of the Atkins Physicians Council criticized a newspaper report Tuesday that said the low-carb diet guru was obese at the time of his death.

They contend The Wall Street Journal distorted a New York medical examiner's report it used as the source for its information.

Atkins died in April at age 72 after slipping and falling on an icy street and suffering a severe head injury. He remained in a coma until taken off life support.

The Wall Street Journal said that the medical report listed Atkins' weight at the time of his death as 258 pounds. The 6-foot-tall Atkins would have been considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's body-mass index calculator.

The newspaper also said Atkins had a history of heart disease and heart attacks.

Dr. Stuart Trager of the Atkins Physicians Council and the widow, Veronica Atkins, lambasted the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine -- a group of doctors who oppose the Atkins diet. The Wall Street Journal article said the panel had sent the medical report to the newspaper, and Trager and Veronica Atkins accused the group of illegally obtaining it.

The committee and the newspaper both declined to comment.

Trager said the weight cited in the medical report was added between the time of Atkins' accident and his death. He said Atkins weighed less than 200 pounds at the time he was injured.

"During his coma, as he deteriorated and his major organs failed, fluid retention and bloating dramatically distorted his body and left him at 258 pounds at the time of his death, a documented weight gain of over 60 pounds," the doctor said in a written statement. "How and why the Journal reported that he was obese remains the only unanswered question in this pathetic situation."

Trager said the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine should have "understood that this was not obesity."

Veronica Atkins said her "husband's medical records have been reviewed by knowledgeable doctors and his medical condition discussed with cardiac specialists."

She said her husband had developed a condition called cardiomyopathy about three years before his death and did suffer a heart attack in April 2002, which he discussed openly in interviews.

In an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live" in January 2003, Dr. Atkins said the heart attack may have been related to the cardiomyopathy -- a serious disease of the heart muscle.

He said his condition came from a viral infection, a common cause of cardiomyopathy. The problems were not connected to his diet, he said.

Veronica Atkins called those who gave the medical examiner's report to the newspaper "extremists."

"Let me state emphatically that I have been assured by my husband's physicians that my husband's health problems late in life were completely unrelated to his diet or any diet," she said in a statement.

Her husband's health at the time of his death "is a sad and distracting sideshow, taking time away from an intelligent debate of the known science," she said.

Questions have swirled about how the committee obtained the report on Atkins' death.

Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the chief medical examiner's office in New York, said the records were erroneously sent to Dr. Richard M. Fleming of the Fleming Heart and Health Institute in Omaha, Nebraska.

Borakove said the medical examiner's office is filing a complaint with the state of Nebraska.

She said the records would not be released to anyone else but said they indicate that Atkins died from the head injury.

Fleming has been unavailable for comment.

Contact information for Richard Fleming (the doctor who allegedly obtained the report):

Fleming Richard M MD

9290 W Dodge Rd Ste 204
Omaha, NE 68114-3320
Phone: (402) 343-0800

Source:

http://www.switchboard.com/Physicia...E/Merchant.html

His very silly website:

http://www.thefleminginstitute.com/

Things he links to on his very silly website:

Other Alternative Medicine sources in Omaha and the Midwest that you may enjoy:

• reiki • Pilates • laser hair removal • yoga • Macrobiotic diet • natural health • feng shui • Graviola Microhydrin • Amazon herbs • anti-aging medicine • microhydrin • intuitive counseling • health food stores • medical stickers • NLP Trainers • natural mosquito repellant • chiropractors • GHP Factor • healing touch • Etheric Weaver healing • kids stickers • Acupuncture

A silly paper he wrote:

http://www2.uiuc.edu/ro/cvs/Atkins.html

A image of his silly book:


Commentatory on his silly book at Barnes & Noble:

From the Publisher
Despite huge advances in medical science, heart disease and its related conditions continue to be the number- one killer in the United States. Dr. Richard Fleming decided to find out why. Through extensive research he discovered the immune system was the crucial piece missing from the diagnosis and treatment equation. He saw that when key elements in the blood became elevated they triggered a dangerous inflammatory chain reaction. These elements, ranging from bacteria to triglycerides, when combined with a high-protein diet and sedentary lifestyle, will cause arterial inflammation, a damaging, debilitating, and sometimes deadly condition. Stop Inflammation Now! explains all twelve triggers of inflammation-causes, interactions in the system, and the best ways to combat or, when necessary, to embrace them-and provides a clear, concise plan for prevention, treatment, and restoration of vital functions without prescription medication or surgical intervention. Dr. Fleming's research, and successful treatment of thousands of patients, has proven that once inflammation is reduced via simple and easy-to-implement diet and lifestyle changes, good health can be restored forever.

Author Biography: Richard m. Fleming, M.D. is the founder and director of the Fleming Heart and Health Institute, located in Omaha, Nebraska. Thousands of people from around the world come to the Fleming Institute for treatment of heart disease, cancer, and nutrition-related disorders.

From The Critics
Publisher's Weekly The author, a nuclear cardiologist and founder of the Fleming Heart and Health Institute in Omaha, Neb., builds on his earlier work (How to Bypass Your Bypass: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You About Cholesterol and Your Diet) to identify in this reader-friendly guide 12 risk factors for heart disease. According to Fleming, these factors-which include high blood cholesterol level (over 150), excess weight, elevated homocysteine (resulting from eating too much animal protein) and oxidants in the blood stream-trigger an inflammatory reaction that causes heart disease and may also be responsible for diabetes, arthritis and other serious conditions. Dismissing bypass surgery and angioplasty as short-term solutions, Fleming claims that his suggested diet, combined with regular exercise such as daily walking, will reverse heart disease without medication or surgery. He recommends that his diet be adopted in two phases: phase one is composed solely of fruit and vegetables; after consistent improvement in cardiac health has been accomplished, phase two, which adds whole grains, low-fat dairy and moderate servings of protein, may be undertaken. A variety of sample recipes and menus are provided. Fleming is opposed to the currently popular high-protein diets for losing weight. Although his exercise and eating plan certainly promotes health, the diet, which also eliminates caffeine, may discourage those who find it too restrictive. (Jan.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal
Nuclear cardiologist Fleming (director, Fleming Heart & Health Inst., Omaha, NE) believes that inflammation is the root cause of heart attack and stroke and contributes to numerous other diseases. Here, he identifies 12 risk factors that lead to the condition, most of which are linked to diet. Some are well known-e.g., cholesterol, triglycerides, excess weight, lack of exercise, and, more recently, high levels of homocysteine-while others continue to be debated in medical literature. To combat those factors, Fleming advocates his own stringent rehabilitation program, phase one of which calls for a spartan diet of vegetables, fruits, and legumes without fats for one month, followed by a slightly expanded diet that includes a meager 15 percent fat. With all this talk of inflammation, it's no surprise that Fleming himself is an inflammatory writer, as when he labels all processed foods as pro-inflammatory. He is also derisive of more traditional medical guidelines and mixes established facts with unproven theories. Few people will be able to follow this program, and many of Fleming's statements are not based on evidence-based science. Not recommended.-Janet M. Schneider, James A. Haley Veterans' Hosp., Tampa Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

If one wishes, one may submit a reader's review of this book through the Barnes & Noble link above.

Fleming interviewed...

Medical Report Shows Atkins Diet Guru Overweight

24 minutes ago

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...ealth_atkins_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Even in death, Dr. Robert Atkins, whose diet books and line of diet products have been tried by millions, is getting people excited.

His widow and the company he founded are denouncing the release of medical records that show he was overweight and suffering from heart disease when he died last April.

But a rival author defended the publication, saying Atkins had concealed a dangerous condition that could influence his millions of followers. Atkins promoted a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that he said would cause rapid weight loss and reduce the risk of heart disease.

The records, a copy of which was sent to Reuters, show Atkins weighed 258 pounds when he died, which would clearly have made the 6-foot-tall medical doctor not just overweight but obese.

They also show he had a history of heart disease, including a chronic condition known as heart failure, high blood pressure and heart attack. Heart failure can cause fluid retention, but Atkins was by any measure at least 75 pounds overweight when he died at age 72.

The Atkins Physicians Council, a group of doctors paid to promote the Atkins approach, has said the diet guru gained fluid weight while in the hospital and had only weighed 195 pounds weeks before. But 195 is still 25 pounds overweight for a 6-foot man, according to global and U.S. standards.

The records were obtained from New York health officials by Dr. Richard Fleming of Omaha, Nebraska, who has debated Atkins, and by a vegetarian nutrition advocacy group.

But Fleming, who advocates a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, denied any breach of ethics and said Atkins was a fair target because he had concealed his own health while seeking to influence others.

"Anything related to the health of Dr. Atkins because he had heart problems becomes an issue," Fleming said in a telephone interview. "When you see the increase in obesity in this country, anything discussing this becomes a public health issue."

HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE

Atkins died after falling and hitting his head on a New York City street last April.

The report from the New York City Chief Medical Examiner's office does not show that a formal autopsy was done on Atkins. It gives the cause of death as "blunt impact injury of head with epidural hematoma (a swelling of the brain)."

But it also carries notes that mention Atkins had a history of heart attack, congestive heart failure and high blood pressure.

In a statement released on Monday, Atkins' widow, Veronica Atkins, said her husband had suffered from heart disease for years but said it had nothing to do with the diet he advocated.

She also said he had a "witnessed cardiac arrest" -- not a heart attack -- while in the hospital in 2002. She accused those who released the medical report of breaching medical ethics and breaking the law.

Fleming, who runs a heart clinic in Omaha and who has published his own book on heart disease called "Stop Inflammation Now," said he called the medical examiner and asked for the report, which he was sent.

"I did nothing wrong," said Fleming, who has also debated Atkins on television. He gave the report to the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine, a group that advocates a strict vegetarian or vegan diet, which has attacked the Atkins approach.

Fleming, who is not a member of the group and who says he eats meat, said the high fat content of the Atkins diet could worsen heart disease not only through raised cholesterol but by inflaming the arteries.

The American Heart Association (news - web sites) and other experts have also cautioned against the Atkins approach and advocate a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fiber.

This 'Fleming' guy has been a part of crackpot publicity stunts before.

His 'Institute' consists of himself and a secretary.

I posted this elsewhere, but I'll add it here too ...

~~~~~

As a RN with nearly 25 yrs experience and most of that in ER and ICU, including Neurosurgical, I can assure you that extreme fluid retention and bloating is not uncommon in severe brain injury and multiple organ failure. One must remember that Dr Atkins was in a coma for 8 days after his head injury on April 9 last year, until artificial life-support was discontinued on April 17. Patients can get so bloated that their features become distorted and unrecognizable to loved ones Rings have to be cut off because the metal cuts deeply into the flesh.

Brain injuries cannot be managed with the same drugs used for other traumatic injuries and shock states (ie, decreased blood flow causing organ failure). Drugs that constrict blood vessels will improve blood flow to the kidneys but decrease blood flow to the brain .. just what you don't want. So, large volumes of fluid and plasma expanders must be given. When I say large volumes, I mean hundreds of ml per hour, liters and liters per day. When the kidneys and heart begin to fail, the fluid has nowhere to go but the tissues .. dialysis can help but only as long as the heart and blood vessels will tolerate. It's not pretty .. but there you have it.

The "experts" who claim extreme fluid overload is impossible must've slept through their medical rotation in ICU.

my 2¢


Doreen

>>>But 195 is still 25 pounds overweight for a 6-foot man, according to global and U.S. standards. <<<

Chit! A six foot man is not supposed to weigh more than 170? I wonder what a 5'3" woman is supposed to weigh?

According to the FitDay chart, the healthy weight for a man that size is up to 185.....

195 pounds for a 6-foot person is a BMI of 26.4, which is definitely in the "overweight" range. My own BMI is over 27, and I've got 20 pounds to go toward my goal weight.

Widow of Atkins diet author may sue NYC

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-brea...13954-6821r.htm

NEW YORK, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- The widow of Dr. Robert Atkins may sue New York City over the unauthorized release of her late husband's confidential medical records.

Veronica Atkins, whose husband gained fame with his Atkins diet, said the medical examiner's report that her husband had heart disease and a history of heart attacks was "absurd," the New York Post reported Wednesday.

The 6-foot Atkins weighed 258 pounds when he died last year of complications of a head injury incurred in a fall.

Though no autopsy was performed, the city's medical examiner conducted an "external" exam of Atkins' body before writing comments in his report, including statements about Atkins weight and heart.

That report was then given to the Wall Street Journal by a vegetarian group long opposed to the Atkins diet.

The group, Physicians for Responsible Medicine, promotes a vegetarian diet and is linked to the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, according to Atkins supporters.

Veronica Atkins, who may sue the city over the report's release, said her husband suffered from a heart condition called cardiomyopathy that "significantly weakened his heart," that caused his body to retain fluids.

Atkins diet empire under siege over fat inventor

February 12, 2004

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004...6388463881.html

Fat when he died ... Dr Robert Atkins.

The widow of diet pioneer Dr Robert Atkins is considering legal action over the release of medical records which showed her husband was obese when he died.

Veronica Atkins was mulling "a number of legal options", a spokesman said, which were understood to include suing the City of New York.

The records, showing Atkins weighed over 114 kilograms and had heart problems when he died last April, were released by the city's Medical Examiner's Office "in error".

Atkins died aged 72 from head injuries after slipping on an icy New York footpath.

Amid ongoing controversy about his low-carbohydrate, high protein diet a group called the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine obtained Atkins' pathology report and passed it to the Wall Street Journal.

The group opposes the Atkins diet - which is controversial because it can lead to high fat intakes - and promotes vegetarianism.

The medical report showed that as well as his obesity, Atkins had a history of congestive heart failure and hypertension.

But Mrs Atkins' spokesman Richard Rothstein said Atkins weighed less than 88 kilograms when he was admitted to hospital after his fall.

Atkins retained much of the fluid given to treat him because of medical conditions unrelated to diet, Rothstein said, in a bid to explain the weight gain.

In a statement on the Atkins website, Mrs Atkins said her husband's medical records were "private and of no concern or relevance to the media or general public".

She accused "unscrupulous individuals" of trying to "pervert the truth in an attempt to destroy the reputation and great work of my late husband".

She said he had suffered from a condition called cardiomyopathy, caused by a virus.

"Though this condition significantly weakened his heart, its cause was clearly related to an infection and not his diet."

She went on: "Let me state emphatically that I have been assured by my husband's physicians that my husband's health problems late in life were completely unrelated to his diet or any diet.

"But it has become clear to me that something as simple as the truth will be perverted and manipulated by dishonest individuals who will stop at nothing and will proceed without any regard for medical ethics or the previously private medical history of Dr Atkins in an attempt not only to discredit my husband's work but to profit from his death."

She added: "I look forward to the day when Dr Atkins' soul can rest in peace and I can grieve uninterrupted."

Medical Examiner's Office spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said the office had apologised to Mrs Atkins.

Forgive me for being ignorant, but I was told BMI is an iffy thing to go by...because it dosen't take bone structure or muscle into account.