Reading an excellent book by journalist William Leith, The Hungry Years, a quirky and witty look at food and other addictions, I was reminded that almost exactly five years ago, ground-breaking proponent of a low-carb diet, Dr Robert Atkins, died after slipping on his way to work. Even his death attracted controversy, with his critics arguing that he collapsed because of heart failure and ended his life an obese man. None of this was true. William Leith interviewed Dr Atkins a few months before his death and found Dr Atkins to be healthy and of average build. Newsweek magazine, which had published some of the myths about his death, later published a retraction, acknowledging 'inaccuracies'.
William Leith notes that the Atkins low carb diet had a serious impact on the commercial food industry, particularly with his assault on refined carbohydrates (e.g. white bread etc) and so called low fat products - which in reality, are nothing of the kind. In response, a number of studies were published purporting to debunk Atkins, but many of which were found to be directly or indirectly funded by the commercial food lobby.
The Atkins diet first came out in the seventies and has had tipping points in the 80s, 90s and early 2000's. What has been interesting is that whenever there was a resurgence, because of scientific evidence, there was a furious backlash by the carbohydrate industry, worried at potential slippage in the enormous profits of addictive carb-type food. Brilliantly, the food industry has painted the Atkins diet at causing kidney failure, bad breath, not allowing any carbs or fibre, etc etc. None of which are true. So Dr Atkins has been cast as a heretic across the board, merely for challenging existing assumptions, daring to oppose the carb-food lobby, and confronting the cosy consensus on diets. But just like Galileo, the real truth about Dr Atkins will out itself eventually.
For more information on the Dr Atkins diet click here.
