atkins

[nibot]

Around town, I've noticed signs popping up "We have low-carb meals!" That's right, the same fast-food eateries that jumped on the low-fat bandwagon are now on the low-carb bandwagon. Don't you think it would be more appropriate for Burger King to have a sign that said "Our meals have always been low-carb!"? It's just like those sugar candies that cheerily advertise "100% Fat Free!" or "Low in Sodium!"

In any case, the news today sort of un-vindicates Mr. Atkins, and states what anybody reasonable had always assumed:

Dr Robert Atkins, creator of the famous low-carbohydrate diet, was clinically obese at the time of his death, according to medical reports made public today. The New York medical examiner's records, which have been published by the Wall Street Journal, state that Dr Atkins weighed 18 and a half stone when he died last April after being injured in a fall on an icy New York City street. At 6ft tall, Dr Atkins, 72, would have qualified as obese, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention's body mass index calculator. - The [London] Times

Comments

Re:

[nibot.livejournal.com]

good point.

my personal theory is that he's like, "hey, millions of americans would love to just eat meat meat meat — I'll legitimize that diet!" Even if that's not what what he was thinking, I think it's the reasons for the diet's success (as measured by popularity, not results). It gave all these people an excuse to eat the way they want to eat, and because it had a name, [some] people stopped bothering them about it. Like when I decided to announce "I don't like games" as a general principle, it was so much easier than saying "No, I don't want to play Settlers of Catan for the next three hours" every day. (-:

Re:

[roxymartini.livejournal.com]

good theory. but the diet eliminates sugar. which americans love. so, it only seems hedonistic and american-suitable in one dimension. if you look at all of it... well, bad things happen.

when i first heard about it, i thought "i can eat all the fatty fatty fat fat i want? GREAT! hand me the ICE CREAM!" then i read the bit about no sugar and no carbohydrates. now that, my friend, is harder than excercising.