Robert Atkins, famous advocate of a popular but controversial high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, died yesterday, nine days after falling and hitting his head on an icy New York pavement.
His spokesman, Richard Rothstein, said that Dr Atkins, 72, died at 11.01am in New York's Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was admitted on April 8.
Dr Atkins underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain but went into a coma and died from complications, Mr Rothstein said.
Dr Atkins developed the "Atkins Diet" - now referred to as "the Atkins Nutritional Approach" - that blames carbohydrates, a major energy source, for weight gain. The diet has been criticised by the medical establishment for risking disease, but several recent studies have shown it can help people lose weight without damaging their health.
He first published, Diet Revolution in 1972, which was updated twice and hit the bestseller lists despite the criticism. His latest book, Atkins for Life, was published this year.
"The cause of death was related to head trauma from an accident that occurred while Dr Atkins was on his way to work," Mr Rothstein said in a statement.
He fell en route to work at his Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine in Manhattan, during an unusual spring snowstorm.
He leaves a wife, Veronica, and is survived by his mother, Norma. Reuters