This article in the New York Times today, should be required reading for anyone interested in obesity or diabetes. In my history of medicine book, I tell the story of Robert Atkins and his diet. When I was researching the chapter, I looked for references on the subject and found nothing positive about him in the medical literature. In fact, I have seen rather gloating comments on his early death (72), not mentioning that it was a consequence of a slip on ice with a severe head injury. He was described by the coroner as “obese” and this led to gloating in vegetarian circles. In fact, he was not obese when admitted to the hospital following the head injury. Note the intense interest in his health in this report on CNN. And here is an example of the vitriol that followed his death. Unmentioned in that piece, is the source, a radical group called Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine, that opposes all animal research, in addition to advocating a strict vegetarian life.
Do some reading about metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance then think about the anger and even hatred of Atkins. He was an advocate of a science theory that opposed the accepted wisdom on health. For this, he was scolded and vilified in life and there was rejoicing and even lying about his death. Is this what we face 50 years from now when everyone starts to realize that we have crippled the western economies to conform to a science fallacy ?