Atkins' widow in threat to critics

Published on Wednesday 10 March 2004 00:00

THE widow of diet pioneer Dr Robert Atkins has vowed to go after anyone who criticises the life or work of her late husband.

After a series of attacks - the most recent being that the slimming guru was obese when he died - Veronica Atkins said she had finally had enough.

"If anybody attacks Bobby, God help them," said Mrs Atkins.

"I will not allow them to persecute Bobby any longer. He doesn’t deserve it.

"Thank God I have the wherewithal to do it," she said.

Mrs Atkins admitted that she was "depressed" since her husband died in a fall on an icy pavement in New York City last year.

But she has thrown herself into working towards her husband’s dream.

Since his death, Dr Atkins’ low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet has become increasingly popular, winning a string of celebrity endorsements.

It has revolutionised eating habits. Many restaurants now offer low-carb menus and bread sales slumped so much in the United States last year that food manufacturers started baking low-carb loaves. There is now even a less starchy version of the famous New York bagel.

"It’s tragic that Bobby’s not here for this," Mrs Atkins said.

Despite the popularity of Atkins, some scientists have criticised it as promoting a high-fat diet. Diets rich in red meat are also believed to be behind colon cancer and high cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

But after Atkins Nutritionals sold for more than 250 million in October last year, Mrs Atkins decided to put nearly 30m into research.

"I’ll beat them through research," she said.