History of the Atkins Diet

Among the low carb diets in the market, it is probably the Atkins Diet that has received so much media ruckus because of its controversial four-step plan that emphasizes high protein low carbohydrate meals.

The diet is named after Dr. Robert Atkins, a cardiologist who invented the meal plans to help his patients cope with their heart problems. He graduated from Cornell Medical Center in 1955 and published his first diet book seventeen years later. The book, Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution shocked many and created a really big controversy in the medical field.

Although his low carbohydrate-high protein diet was embraced by many as truly revolutionary, there are some people in the industry who criticized the diet and questioned its safety. Dr. Atkins realized that he had to make more extensive research on the subject as well as more studies to prove his point.

Five years after, in 1960, he opened a clinic in New York City where he began to treat patients with a controlled carbohydrate program that became the mother of the Atkins diet that we know today. This time, he had a series of articles published in scientific journals particularly those by the American Medical Association to back him up.

In 1984, he expanded his private clinic and built it as the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine. The year after that, he received the honor of being Man of the Year by the National Health Federation. He also co-organized the Foundation for the Advancement of Innovative Medicine in 1987 and established the Complementary Formulations, Inc. in 1989. In 1990, he received another award, this time from the World Organization of Alternative Medicine in recognition of his achievement in the field.

In 1998, he published the book, Dr. Atkins’ Vita-Nutrient Solution: Nature’s Answer to Drugs and in he revised his previous book and called it Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. This was published in 1999. This time, the book became an overnight sensation and Dr. Atkins got the national recognition that he deserves. Unlike his previous book, Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution is among the top 50 best selling books of all times. It has actually remained in the New York Times Best Selling Books for five years and has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.

This may be because of the new technique in diet that he introduced as well as the right timing when it was published. It did not also hurt that after the publication came out, studies and reports have begun to confirm the effectiveness of the diet program as well as its safety. The book had seven chapters filled with tips for a healthy diet and lifestyle as well as great recipes that one can prepare at home as meals.

The year 1999 was a blessed year for Dr. Atkins. Not only was his book a great big hit, it was also in 1999 when he established the Dr. Robert C. Atkins Foundation and was named one of People Magazines 25 Most Intriguing People in the World. He was also featured in a Time Magazine cover story which discussed the topic of controlled carbohydrate nutrition.

In 2001, he was a recipient of the Doctor of Humane Letters from Fairleigh Dickinson University for his achievement in combining alternative and conventional therapies and in 2002, he as again recognized by Time Magazine as one of the “People who Mattered in 2002.” In 2003, he released the Atkins for Life diet program, which is geared towards helping people who want to lead a healthier lifestyle.

To date, there are about a million people who have successfully lost weight using the Atkins four-point core plan… and it is still counting.