The Atkins Diet works. But like the ebb and flow of news, too much of a good thing can lead to too much of a bad thing (Newton’s third law). The death knell for Atkins, in the form of a bankruptcy filing, demonstrates the cyclical nature of news. The higher you rise, the lower you fall. Had Atkins Nutritionals approached the public positioning of its weight loss method in a more measured way — as opposed to feeding the hype — I suspect it would not find itself in its current predicament.
Many PR agencies measure their success by the quantity of press coverage they garner for their clients. Few consider how too much media coverage can produce the opposite effect over the long run, as evidenced by Atkins’ stunning fall from grace. The slow but steady tortoise always beats the hare. Pass the bacon.