Atkins' History
Our story starts with a trailblazing cardiologist Dr. Robert Atkins, who challenged the status quo weight loss methods of his time by proposing a nutritional approach based on eating right, not less. Today, our story continues with a mission: to make eating right a part of everyday life through our advocacy, education, innovation, and products.
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2018
Harvard study that shows that a low carb diet may help you burn more calories and maintain your weight after losing weight compared to a high carb diet. Read more…
“Life is too short to eat a bad protein bar, and Atkins has great tasting bars and shakes that satisfy my sweet tooth. Today’s Atkins focuses on foods that are rich in healthy protein and low in carbs and sugar. It’s a simple approach that tastes delicious and is a real way to live.” – Rob Lowe
2017
As a result of the advocacy efforts by Atkins, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine announced the formation of an ad hoc committee tasked with reviewing the Dietary Guideline for Americans scientific review process.
Read More »Stacey Bentley featured in People’s “Half Their Size” Issue!
Tanisha Washington featured in People Magazine, Celebrating 100 Pound Weight Loss!
2016
After having her second child, Saint West, Kim Kardashian turned to Atkins to lose the weight she’d gained during pregnancy. In a few months, Kim lost 60 lbs. by following Atkins and eating right, not less. #Beastmode #Results
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco revealed that the sugar industry’s influence on research studies down played the effect of sugar on heart disease. From the 60s onward, Big Sugar’s influence caused health officials to recommend a diet low in saturated fats, but not low in sugars. Recent research now widely shows that refined carbohydrates and sugars are risk factors for heart disease. Dr. Atkins first wrote about the dangers of a carb-rich diet in 1972. The New York Times writes about How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat.
Atkins Meal Kits cover a week’s worth of food and tools, with three different options to choose from for one’s needs and lifestyle. All Meal Kits are offered exclusively at Atkins.com
Atkins and Chef’d teamed up to create a meal kit, home delivery service for fresh ingredients and low-carb recipes. Frozen or fresh, Atkins continues to search for new ways to make healthy eating an easy, everyday habit
2015
The petition received 22,962 signatures supporting the cause.
Looking to reach her happy weight and improve her health, Alyssa Milano partnered with Atkins. After following the Atkins lifestyle for a few years, by 2017 Alyssa had reached her happy weight and enjoyed the positive impact Atkins had on her life, from cooking family dinners to having the energy to keep up with her kids with her busy lifestyle.
2014
In 2014, Atkins released their first low-carb frozen pizza. With 11g net carbs, the Atkins pizza became one of the lowest carbohydrate options for pizza on the market and continues to be today.
The Annals of Internal Medicine publishes results of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) trial titled “Effects of low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets,” in which a low-carbohydrate diet was found to be more effective both for weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor reduction than the low-fat diet.
2013
Atkins publishes The New Atkins Made Easy by nutritionist Colette Heimowitz.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (2008), written by lead author Iris Shai, RD, PhD, showed that a low-carbohydrate diet like Atkins had a more favorable effect on blood lipid levels than both the Mediterranean diet or a low–fat diet. More recently, a 2013 study showed that low-carb diets are just as effective as Mediterranean diets in improving cardiovascular risk factors in people with diabetes.
Meta-analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reviewed 20 randomized control trials on the effect of various diets on glycemic control, lipids and weight loss in individuals with type 2 diabetes. The results found that a low-carb diet, like Atkins, showed greater improvements in glycemic control biomarkers for type 2 diabetics and should be considered in the overall strategy of diabetes management.
Read More »2012
In preparation for her 60th birthday, Sharon Osborn lost 23 lbs. on Atkins. She enjoyed the variety of foods she could eat and as a result introduced Atkins to other members of her family.
2011
Atkins publishes The New Atkins for a New You Cookbook by nutritionist Colette Heimowitz, providing a new resource for low-carbers looking to cook healthy, homemade meals.
2010
Conducted by Temple University’s Center for Obesity Research and Education and published in the August 3, 2010, issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The study concludes that a low-carbohydrate diet is associated with favorable changes in weight loss and cardiovascular disease risk factors. The Temple University researchers used the 2002 version of the Atkins Diet described in “Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution” as the model for the low-carbohydrate diet used in the study.
2009
2007
Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN Diets For Change in Weight and Related Risk Factors Among Overweight Premenopausal Women: the A TO Z Weight Loss Study: a Randomized Trial.
Read More »2004
2003
2002
The concept of “net carb” was first introduced in 2002 when research demonstrated fiber had a minimal impact on blood sugar in the book Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution which remained on the bestseller list for 285 weeks, becoming the #1 Bestselling Avon paperback of all time. Dr. Atkins’ books reached the milestone of 15 million copies sold. More vegetables were permitted on Atkins once the net carb concept was introduced.
1999
1998
Complementary Formulations is renamed to Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. and focuses on expanding product line.
1997
Dr. Atkins and Veronica Atkins published the first Atkins cookbook, Dr. Atkins’ Quick and Easy New Diet Revolution Cookbook.
Complementary Formulations introduced its first controlled carbohydrate food product, the Atkins Advantage® Bar in Chocolate Macadamia Nut flavor. The first Atkins shakes were introduced in Vanilla and Chocolate flavors
1996
Atkins online is launched at www.atkins.com.
1992
Dr. Atkins released an updated version of the original Atkins diet plan in Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution. In 1997 Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution became a New York Times bestseller and remained a bestseller for five years.
1990
1989
Recognizing the need for trustworthy and convenient nutrition at home, Dr. Atkins established Complementary Formulations (which would later become Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.), a mail order distributor of low-carb food and vitamin products.
1988
1977
1972
In 1972 Dr. Atkins published his first book, Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution, to explain his findings on low-carb dieting. The book’s publication kicked off decades of research and debate within the medical community to determine whether a diet low in sugar and carbohydrates was better for the body than a diet low in fats and protein. After all that time, we now know Dr. Atkins was right; from Harvard Medical School to the American Heart Association, over 100 scientific publications have shown the benefits of an Atkins lifestyle.
1963
Starting in 1963, Dr. Atkins immersed himself in medical research on nutrition and found studies that showed carbohydrate restriction, as opposed to calorie restriction, provided weight loss results, without significant hunger. After, Dr. Atkins experimented with a low-carb diet himself and then with 65 executives. Together, Dr. Atkins and the group of executives all achieved substantial weight loss.
1955
Dr. Robert C. Atkins received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical School in 1955 and after finishing three cardiology-focused residencies, opened a private practice in New York City. Throughout his residencies, Dr. Atkins became increasingly concerned by the practice of prescribing medications such as amphetamines to patients as appetite suppressants. Weight loss methods that needed medication to treat hunger just didn’t seem right. There had to be a better way.