Dr. Robert Atkins was deeply
concerned about the state of the
nation’s health. During his 40 years
of clinical practice, he saw an
alarming rise in childhood obesity
and the number of young people
diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes
and pre-diabetic conditions, a
consequence he attributed to the
standard American diet. In response,
Dr. Atkins pioneered a controlled
carbohydrate nutritional approach
he hoped would halt the trend he
feared was becoming an epidemic.
In 1999, Dr. Atkins and I established
a private foundation to trace the
origins of the obesity problem by
funding independent scientific
research into the roles of metabolism
and nutrition in disease prevention
and health management. Following
his death four years later, a successor
foundation was created to continue
this work.
Initially, the Atkins Foundation
funded independent research
focused predominantly on obesity
and associated health conditions,
including Type 2 diabetes and heart
disease. But the scope of grantees
soon expanded to include the study
of other chronic health conditions
that could be influenced by a
controlled-carbohydrate approach
including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease
and epilepsy. Support then extended
to educational programs, public
health advocacy initiatives, endowed
professorships—even centers
of excellence—at some of the
nation’s most prestigious academic
medical centers.
The Foundation is gaining recognition
as not only one of the few medical
philanthropy organizations in the
United States dedicated to investigation
in this arena, but also for its style
of grant making.
In funding novel pilot studies that
otherwise may not receive support,
the Foundation fosters the kind of
innovative thinking and willingness
to challenge convention that
Dr. Atkins personified. In the future,
as larger federal funding agencies’
dollars continue to shrink, the
Foundation’s role in fostering such
investigation will become
increasingly critical.
With the Foundation as a catalyst,
collaboration has replaced competition
among Atkins grantees, with diverse
groups at the academic, clinical and
community levels sharing a joint
commitment to address the obesity
epidemic. Through a recently formed
research coalition, investigators from
seven of our funded institutions
across the country are partnering on
a number of new research protocols.
Today, through Foundation-funded
grantees, we’re seeing translational
research take on new meaning.
Their work transcends the laboratory
and patient care settings into the
community to advance the science
and, ultimately, raise public awareness
about the importance of sound
nutrition habits in achieving good
health—a goal to which Dr. Atkins
devoted his life.
Dedicated to carrying out his legacy,
we are privileged to be associated
with some of the world’s preeminent
investigators in pursuit of the
unanswered questions needed to help
shape and change recommendations
and clinical practices of the future.
In these pages, we highlight some
of their achievements.
Veronica Atkins
Board Leadership
The Dr. Robert C. and Veronica
Atkins Foundation is governed
by an active Board of Directors:
Veronica Atkins, chair
Eileen R. Heisman
Sharon L.Mueller
