- Nov 21, 2001
- 15,780
- 0
- 76
link to article
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A 53-year-old man sued the company that promotes the Atkins Diet and the estate of its founder Dr. Robert Atkins, alleging that following the high-fat meal plan clogged his arteries and threatened his health.
Jody Gorran of Delray Beach said he believes the Atkins diet books and products should contain a warning label that one-third of the population is at risk for developing health problems when they eat meats and other foods endorsed by the diet that are high in saturated fat.
The advocacy group, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which is assisting Gorran, says the suit is the first to recently question the merits of the Atkins diet. The Washington-based group promotes a vegan diet ? no meat, fish, dairy or egg products.
Gorran said Thursday he started the diet in May 2001 after his 50th birthday because his weight had increased to 148 from 140, but says it caused him to need heart angioplasty to clear his arteries.
"I came very close to dying and this is from a diet I thought was marvelous. For 2 1/2 years, I extolled the virtues of this diet to anyone who listened because I was losing weight and I felt great," said Gorran, who filed his suit Wednesday seeking $15,000 in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. "But when I started I had no idea I was making a deal with the devil for trying to keep a 32-inch waistline."
Atkins Nutritionals Inc., which responded to Gorran's suit in a statement, questioned the motivation of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. In 1979, a New York jury rejected an elderly, overweight woman's lawsuit claiming that the Atkins Diet caused her heart disease.
"We should not let the real issue, providing people with a scientifically validated nutritional choice in the face of a worldwide obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic, be manipulated by this extremist animal rights vegan group," the statement said. "As always Atkins stands by the science that has repeatedly reaffirmed the safety and health benefits of the Atkins Nutritional Approach."
Doctors and nutritionists have for years debated the Atkins diet, which allows up to two-thirds of calories from fat, or more than double the usual recommendation. Dr. Atkins argued that carbohydrates generate too much insulin, which makes people hungrier and encourages them to put on fat.
Atkins' best-selling book, "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution," advocates meat, eggs and cheese and discourages bread, rice and fruit. His books sold 15 million copies and attracted millions of followers.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A 53-year-old man sued the company that promotes the Atkins Diet and the estate of its founder Dr. Robert Atkins, alleging that following the high-fat meal plan clogged his arteries and threatened his health.
Jody Gorran of Delray Beach said he believes the Atkins diet books and products should contain a warning label that one-third of the population is at risk for developing health problems when they eat meats and other foods endorsed by the diet that are high in saturated fat.
The advocacy group, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which is assisting Gorran, says the suit is the first to recently question the merits of the Atkins diet. The Washington-based group promotes a vegan diet ? no meat, fish, dairy or egg products.
Gorran said Thursday he started the diet in May 2001 after his 50th birthday because his weight had increased to 148 from 140, but says it caused him to need heart angioplasty to clear his arteries.
"I came very close to dying and this is from a diet I thought was marvelous. For 2 1/2 years, I extolled the virtues of this diet to anyone who listened because I was losing weight and I felt great," said Gorran, who filed his suit Wednesday seeking $15,000 in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. "But when I started I had no idea I was making a deal with the devil for trying to keep a 32-inch waistline."
Atkins Nutritionals Inc., which responded to Gorran's suit in a statement, questioned the motivation of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. In 1979, a New York jury rejected an elderly, overweight woman's lawsuit claiming that the Atkins Diet caused her heart disease.
"We should not let the real issue, providing people with a scientifically validated nutritional choice in the face of a worldwide obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic, be manipulated by this extremist animal rights vegan group," the statement said. "As always Atkins stands by the science that has repeatedly reaffirmed the safety and health benefits of the Atkins Nutritional Approach."
Doctors and nutritionists have for years debated the Atkins diet, which allows up to two-thirds of calories from fat, or more than double the usual recommendation. Dr. Atkins argued that carbohydrates generate too much insulin, which makes people hungrier and encourages them to put on fat.
Atkins' best-selling book, "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution," advocates meat, eggs and cheese and discourages bread, rice and fruit. His books sold 15 million copies and attracted millions of followers.
Facebook
Twitter