Why does Atkins get such bad press?

I admit I thought it too. When you are on Atkins all you eat is bacon, eggs, steak, and butter. Not quite sure where I got that impression but everyone that I tell that I'm on Atkins has the same reaction - your teeth will rot, you can't stay on it forever, your cholesterol will skyrocket, your muscles will breakdown, your kidneys will fail... I could go on and on.

Then I read The Book (Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution). Wow! Just what I've been aiming for all along in my house. Cut out trans fats completely and all sugars including high fructose corn syrup. Get rid of all the white foods (flour, potatoes, pasta, white bread, etc) Later when you lose all the weight you can add back in whole grains. If you don't need to lose weight but you want to eat this way because you know it's healthier you can read Atkins For Life.

I am eating healthier than I ever have in my life - vegeatbles I never ate - kohlrabi, beets, daikon radish, rutabagas, turnips, bok choy, fennel, just to name a few. I have a huge salad every day for lunch with flax seeds, blue cheese, avocado, grape tomatoes, and anything else that strikes my fancy. I never eat anything packaged and very few things that wouldn't be considered "whole foods".

What's funny is that the people who say I am eating unhealthy now never said anything if they saw me eating chips or a donut.