Atkins was a cardiologist and businessman, selling supplements and food on his Web site and at the Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine.

All of his best-selling diet books promoted the same philosophy: a diet high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates is a sure way to lose weight.

"It's not that it needs to be low-calorie. As long as you cut out the carbohydrate the weight loss is automatic," Atkins said.

His philosophy of loading up on meat and cheese instead of breads, pastas, and even fruits and vegetables, went against the nutritional grain among mainstream dieticians.

Founder

Robert Atkins is credited with revolutionizing the diet world with his theory that you can lose weight by eating fat, and his followers hailed him as a pioneer. His critics accused him of selling a dangerous idea, but Atkins dismissed their claims.

Atkins book

Atkins' diet books were some of the best-selling books of all time.

"See, that's a big mistake ... to tell people to restrict calories," Atkins told CNN in January. "They lose the weight, they feel fine, then they get to their goal weight and they still have 60 more years to live, and are they going to go hungry for all 60 years?"