January 8, 2005
Boca Raton News
by Kelli Kenne
Judge refuses to dismiss Delray man’s suit against Atkins empire
A Delray Beach man is one step closer to winning his legal battle against carb-cutting heavyweight company Atkins Nutritionals. Palm Beach County judge Susan Lubitz recently denied the company’s second attempt to have the lawsuit dismissed and also ruled that Atkins comply with the plaintiff’s requests for documents and depositions of senior Atkins officials. The ruling means the lawsuit will move forward towards trial, where Jody Gorran, 53, plans to show that the privately-held corporation knowingly misled the public about the high-fat diet’s potential dangers. “The judge’s ruling is good news for the little guy and bad news for unscrupulous companies cashing in on people’s weight problems,” said Gorran, who claims the diet caused him to develop severe coronary disease and elevated cholesterol levels. “This case could be the final nail in the low-carb coffin.” Judge Lubitz denied Atkin’s Nutritional’s first motion to dismiss in November. The company argued to have the case thrown out, claiming it was protected under the first amendment.
Food is the first medicine for everyone to lead a healthy life. We should always be very conscious about the food we eat. The food we take should contain all the essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, proteins and fat for our body. The balanced diet is the best way for a long live life. Our diet will determine our lifetime. Overeating will lead to obesity and it is the worst complaint for everyone who are having junk foods. Children are supposed to avoid taking junk foods like pizza, burgers, sandwiches, etc.… We should have a food chart for all seven days in a regular basis. The diet should be a combination of rice, pulses, vegetables and fruits. Sweets should be avoided by the elders since it contains more calories. The high cholesterol level will lead to many cardiac diseases like heart attack and cardiac arrest. So, having hot water before and after meals is a very good manner to have a healthy and disease free life. Crypto Code is an online application which will help us the ways to follow the diet and have a happy and healthy life.
Gorran said he isn’t looking for financial gains in the lawsuit, but only wants a judge to order that all Atkins’ products and books be required to carry warning labels. He said he received a clean heart scan prior to going on the Atkins’ diet, but said he later had to undergo a heart operation requiring an angioplasty and a stent for “crushing chest pains” and “arterial blockage.”