Diet Gurus Face Off at Convention DENVER, Oct 20, 2000 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- It was a skirmish in the war on fat as two rival diet gurus faced off at the American Dietetic Association convention. Dr. Robert Atkins, author of two popular diet books advocating loads of protein and minimal carbohydrates, sparred with Dr. Dean Ornish, who advocates eating more fruits and vegetables and less fat, more in line with what most nutritionists recommend. "I'm very happy to be here," Atkins quipped Thursday. "Not as happy as Daniel in the lion's den." Atkins said his popular diet, which allows dieters to eat all the eggs, beef, chicken and fish they want, produces results. The crowd was polite but skeptical, with no overt heckling but many narrowed eyes and a bit of muttering from the aisles. Ornish said Atkins' theories have no science behind them. Showing a poster from the movie "The Sixth Sense," about a boy who sees the dead, Ornish said, "I see dead people, too. They are on a high-protein diet." Copyright 2000 Associated Press, All rights reserved -0- APO Priority=r APO Category=1110 KEYWORD: DENVER SUBJECT CODE: 1110 *** end of story *** |