Posted on Tue, Feb. 17, 2004

NEAL D. BARNARD, M.D.,

Public must know risks of high-fat Atkins diet

Re Atkins' own health placed on the scale, Feb. 11:

It should be known that the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine was hardly the first organization to make a public issue of Dr. Atkins' physical condition.

Rather, promoters of low-carb diets themselves initiated this discussion by contending that Atkins was thin and healthy into old age. They gave encouraging details of his seemingly miraculous medical examinations -- details that are now suspect since his widow, Veronica Atkins, revealed that her husband had coronary-artery disease.

A critical public-health issue is at stake. Many doctors and nutritionists remain deeply concerned that low-carb, high-fat diets are likely to contribute to heart disease, kidney disorders, certain cancers and other health problems. The concerns are based on decades of scientific studies showing that regular consumption of high-fat, high-cholesterol foods can wreak havoc on the body.

president, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington D.C.

Source: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiheral...ion/7969941.htm

A critical public-health issue is at stake. Many doctors and nutritionists remain deeply concerned that low-carb, high-fat diets are likely to contribute to heart disease, kidney disorders, certain cancers and other health problems. The concerns are based on decades of scientific studies showing that regular consumption of high-fat, high-cholesterol foods can wreak havoc on the body.

And the proof is where?

More likely they are deeply concerned that the advice they have been handing out for years is wrong.
Steve

More likely still, they are deeply concerned about the "real" facts coming out about Dr. Atkins' heart condition and his weight. Incorrect "facts" they released and are now being refuted in the main-stream press. They thought they would get a free pass on this and the back-lash has gotten them a lot of bad press.

Cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease are completely different diseases! Maybe they need to actually look in a medical dictionary before they make a statement.

A nice example of PCRM's childish attitude--never accept responsibility, always blame someone else---just like kids in the playground, "It's not my fault I did this bad thing, you started it".

.

The whole question to me hangs on the "with or without carbs?" There are (probably) plenty of studies that link high fat to risks. But the whole mess hinges on the presence of carbs and insulin, and I've never seen that variable controlled or even mentioned.

Sigh. Hard to do a reasonable double-blind on a one-rat study.

Watch out, the PCRM and PETA will be after you next.

There was a movie a few years back called "The Contender". I hated the movie, but it had one good line. The movie's villain said that you had to make a "quick stab, right to the belly button" in the media with damaging information. It didn't matter if the information was true or not -- the victim would die before they got the bleeding stopped.

This is what PCRM is doing. They are making quick stabs, designed for soundbite. It doesn't matter that Atkins clearly was 195 when he entered the hospital, or that his heart disease was viral. They've done the damage. People listen to the soundbites. They don't read the articles. They see the headlines, not the text.

PCRM won't win, mind you. The low carb way of eating is too effective and has sensational word-of-mouth that counters the group's lies and distortions. They're using the only tactics that can slow its progress, and they are using them to good effect.

In other words, they got a nice stab in that hurt the victim. Their problem is that the victim didn't die, and they aren't capable of killing him.

Most excellent analogy, kyrasdad. Well said!!

PCRM is a cover group for PETA. If you're not vegan, you're the enemy. To them, it's as simple as that.

What I find ironic is that they have more compassion for animals than people!

Were claims ever made that Dr. Atkins enjoyed exceptional health?

Well, you can't blame them, that's a distinction that only a physician would be expected to know....

oh wait a minute .. The PHYSICIAN committee for Responsible Medicine... hmmm

Technically, it's lead by a psychiatrist, who practices nutrition as hobby, and wrote several low-fat books.

I saw him, Neil Bernard, yesterday on Prime Time, and the guy looked really sick. Just skin on bones, like starving at the verge of death. No wonder he thought Dr. Atkins was obese. Even Calista Flockhart would be considered obese by his standards, she at least had some fat and muscles on her face.

We need to start an organization for the humane feeding of PCRM starvation victims. Like a public campaign to tell PCRM to at least get some complete protein and vitamin B12, and educate them about body image and eating disorders.

Wa'il

PETA = People Enjoying Tasty Animals!