Born Robert Coleman Atkins, October 17, 1930, in Columbus, OH. Doctor and author. Dr. Robert C. Atkins was the author of one of the most influential weight–loss programs of the twentieth century. The Atkins diet claimed that people would shed pounds by exercising and cutting out starches in favor of eating more protein, even if the meals were laced with higher amounts of fat and cholesterol. On his plan, meat, eggs and cheese are encouraged, while bread, potatoes, pasta and fruit are generally off–limits.

Though Atkins' first book, Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution: The High Calorie Way to Stay Thin Forever was published in 1972, "low–carb" didn't become a buzzword until the late 1990s and early 2000s, after publication of Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution in 1999. Various editions of the book sold more than 15 million copies, making it one of the top 50 titles ever published. It spent five years on the New York Times's best–seller list.

In 1959, Atkins opened his own practice on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. After six weeks on the plan, Atkins said, he lost 27 pounds and turned his practice into an obesity clinic. This led to one million requests for copies of his diet plan. Between the late 1970s and the 1990s, Atkins opened an alternative healing clinic and fell out of the public eye, although he did continue to publish books.

At age 72, Atkins died on April 17, 2003, in New York, New York, after slipping on pavement and suffering severe head injuries. Subsequently, he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain, but never regained consciousness. He is survived by his wife, Veronica, and his mother, Norma.