...according to the Carb Police. Lunch was some pasta (lots of pasta) with chicken and broccoli in a tomato-cream sauce, a biscuit (I love biscuits) and cream of asparagus soup. Waaay to many CARBOHYDRATES and VEGETABLES for the Carb Police.
Me? I can safely say there's about forty pounds less of me then there was three years ago, and I didn't take any advice from Dr. Atkins. Heh.
(True story: On one of my rat boards, in the off-topic area, someone said she needed to lose fifteen pounds in two weeks for her high-school reunion, and asked for advice. Along with the good, solid advice that she was screwed, came this note: "Atkins worked for me three times..." Those damn vegetagbles!)
Anyway, I started poking around some Atkins websites and I found this little blurb:
Along with seeing patients daily, Dr. Atkins continues to champion the natural healing arts . . . Dr. Atkins also continues to be a prolific writer and sought after speaker.
No mention of his heart problems, I noticed. While you're poking around the Official Atkins Site check out the photo gallery of Dr. Atkins in action.
So why the sudden harping on Atkins? I suddenly realized what a Cult of Personality has been built up over this guy. For example, after his death reports circulated stating he was obese and had heart problems, and it's generally agreed these reports were circulated by Anti-Atkins diet groups. Right after that, pro-Atkins diet groups started stating the heart condition wasn't related to the diet, it was something revealed several years ago, and the whole low-carb enchilada has turned into such a mess it's hard to figure out fact from fiction (fellow Munuvian and advocate of a common-sense approach to diet & exercise Heather has been following this much closer than I, as has Atkins-advocate Spoons).
All I know is, is Dr. Atkins seems to have been placed on a pedestal by his own fan club, in much the same way L. Ron Hubbard has been the be-all and end-all for the Scientologists, or Lenin & Marx are the shiznit for the commies, or Joe Don Baker is the all-knowing for me.
And something about that strikes me as being decidedly less-than-healthy.
Here's the cool thing: I wasn't the first to recognize the Atkins cult. The Great God Lileks (now, that's someone who deserves a cult of personality!) did last year: Fat is health! Bread is death! Freedom is - well, you know the rest.
Scroll down to see the picture--you won't regret it.
Posted by Victor at Marzo 30, 2004 12:50 PMI've happilly lost 32.8lbs to date via Weight Watchers
(I just had to share--today was a weigh in day)
Excellent! You have earned the right to brag!
Posted by: Victor at Abril 1, 2004 11:21 AM