Living a longer life: whose advice helps?

Soon, Pritikin was a household word. Using these principles, in 1975 he founded the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, which still operates as a medical spa that attracts people seeking a longer, healthier life. Pritikin was a contemporary and public adversary of Dr. Robert Atkins, who held a different view of diet and disease. Pritikin committed suicide at age 69 while suffering from leukemia.

The verdict: See Atkins below.

Robert Atkins

1930-2003

Named one of People magazine's 25 "Most Intriguing People" at the end of the 20th century and one of Time magazine's "People Who Mattered," Robert Atkins was a cardiologist who pioneered a controlled-carbohydrate approach to weight management and to the treatment and prevention of disease.

In doing so, he fueled the low-carb diet craze that continues today; its proponents emphasize a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates, with an abundance of vegetables and a moderate intake of fats. Atkins wrote many bestselling books on diet and nutrition, including "Dr. Atkins' Age-Defying Diet Revolution." Physicians continue to recommend the Atkins Nutritional Approach to control obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other medical conditions.

Atkins died of a brain injury that caused bleeding under the skull after he fell on ice and hit his head while walking to work. He was 72.

The verdict:

Both Pritikin and Atkins contributed significant, well-documented science to the field of nutrition, says Jose Ordovas, professor of nutrition and a senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, where he is also director of the Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory. With his team he has studied both methods extensively. "Neither one is right or wrong. Each approach works for a specific genetic makeup."

In other words, each camp will have a sub group for whom its diet works. For some, a low-fat, high-fiber diet (a la Pritikin) will improve their blood profiles, help them lose weight and approach longevity. For others, a low-carb, high-protein diet (a la Atkins) will do that.

"We have to move beyond the notion that diets are good or bad, and be careful not to globalize, and assume one dietary approach fits all," Ordovas says.

Roy Walford

1924-2004