Tuesday, January 8, 2013

An Offhand Hypothesis

Dr. Atkins was probably a narcoleptic.

At home with Dr. Atkins
As a young internist, his life became a lot less funny and he became a lot bigger.
Dr. Atkins: “I was gaining weight very rapidly. Like two pounds a month for several years.”
John Hockenberry: “So you see yourself just inflating like a balloon.”
Dr. Atkins: “Well everybody saw me doing that. I had three chins.”
He suppressed the sleep and obesity using his diet, but still had the underlying strep infection. 
The fact that he never was thin indicates a tendency to hyperinsulinemia.  He probably got low doses of gluten all his life.  Those two things are probably what affected his heart.
Being a doctor in itself requires a certain amount of obsession.  And the oppositional defiance is just classic.  Rigorous righteousness.

update:  while I'm at it.  him too.