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Robert Atkins (physician)

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Robert Atkins was an American doctor. He was a cardiologist, which is a doctor who studies the heart. He was born in Ohio in 1930. As a young man, he worked many jobs. He even sold shoes when he was 14. He went to the University of Michigan. Later, he earned his medical degree from Cornell University.

Atkins became famous for a food plan called the Atkins Diet. This plan is a low-carbohydrate diet. This means people eat fewer carbs, like bread or sugar. Instead, they eat more protein and fat. His plan was very popular in the United States. A magazine named him person of the year in 2002.

Atkins had some health problems later in life. In 2002, he had a cardiac arrest. This is when the heart stops working correctly. Some people thought his diet caused this. However, Atkins said a long-term infection caused it. In 2003, he fell on ice and hit his head. He went to a hospital for surgery. He died on April 17, 2003, at age 72.

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