PowerBar Founder Maxwell Dies at 51 (heart attack

[Florida_Geek]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Obit-Maxwell.html

March 20, 2004
PowerBar Founder Maxwell Dies at 51
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 3:33 p.m. ET

SAN ANSELMO, Calif. (AP) -- Brian Maxwell, founder of the multimillion-dollar PowerBar empire and a former world-class marathon runner, has died of a heart attack, friends said. He was 51.

Maxwell collapsed Friday at a post office, and emergency personnel were unable to resuscitate him after workers called 911. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Maxwell and his wife Jennifer, a nutritionist, co-founded the popular energy bar company in 1986 and began selling PowerBars out of their kitchen.

Over the next decade, the Berkeley, Calif.-based firm grew to $150 million in sales and 300 employees. In March 2000, the couple sold the company to Nestle SA for a reported $375 million.

Maxwell, who was born in London but grew up in Toronto, represented Canada in many international competitions as a long-distance runner. He was part of the 1980 Olympic team that boycotted the games in Moscow

..more at AP...

[kalian]

1. Oh the irony....

[FlemingsGhost]

2. Reminds me of Jim Fixx, world class marathoner...

Died of a massive heart attack in his late 40s.

:shrug:

[leftistagitator]

3. I wonder if marathon running isn't too strenuous

Generally, the fitter you are, the less likely you are to get a heart attack. But maybe running for 26 miles is just too hard on the cardiovascular system to do recreationally. After all, the first man to run a marathon famously died right afterward. Of course, some of those extreme runners laugh at 26 miles...

[GreenGreenLimaBean]

25. Not a chance

But maybe running for 26 miles is just too hard on the cardiovascular system to do recreationally

as a marathon runner(4 so far, and running Boston in 05), I highly doubt
this conjecture. Show some evidence and not anecdotes prior to making
such a flimsy statement and I will take you seriously.

[leftistagitator]

37. You shouldn't take me seriously

I'm sorry, my post was just wild conjecture. I don't know enough about marathon running to say for sure one way or the other, nor am I trying to stop others from doing it. I was just wondering out loud if the human body can cope well with exercise that intense.

[GOPisEvil]

4. The first person to ever run a marathon died at the end...

...maybe repetitive 26 mile races are too stressful for some humans.

RIP Mr. Maxwell.

[stopbush]

5. Let's see if they'll bash this guy like they did Atkins.

Aren't PowerBars high in carbs? This guy drops dead from a heart attack at 51 (diet related?). At least Atkins made it into his 70s and died from a fractured skull when he slipped on some ice (not diet related).

I know I'm painting with broad strokes here, but I doubt very much that this guy will get "Atkins-ed" on these boards, let alone in the press.

[leftistagitator]

6. Atkins was also grossly overweight and unfit

And high protein diets are known to cause heart disease, so to advocate that people eat pure meat for the rest of their life is just insane. There's no telling how many will die for Atkins dumbass theory. People die of heart attacks for many reasons, not just diet or exercise, especially people who have been pushing their body to the limits for years like this MARATHON runner. I also enjoyed watching Atkins advocates blaming America's giant fat ass on high carb diets, since the majority of Americans don't exercise, eat fast food, and don't follow a high carb diet. Go on with your conspiracy theory though. It must be a vegetarian plot to attack poor old defenseless Dr. Atkins. Never mind that the meat industry bankrolled this low carb bullshit. Lets ignore this obvious actual conspiracy and instead worry about an evil cabal of meat hating hippies.

[Skittles]

7. I think the jury is out on the heart disease aspect of high protein

but I agree that any diet advocating meat over fruit has to be considered suspect. What is sad is people just rave that IT WORKS. Well folks I could only eat once a week and I would lose weight - THAT works too.

[rooboy]

13. Ummm. not quite true.

Believe it or not, a lot of people are overweight because they try to starve their bodies. The body goes into starvation mode and starts piling it on. I know that because it happened to me. Sure, you can to into supermodel-starvation mode, but that isn't just burning fat. They are actually burning away their muscle and internal organs as well.

These simplistic and misleading analyses of Atkins remind me of the kind of reporting done by Fox News - uninformed and unbalanced.

I stopped using the Atkins method to lose weight a number of months ago, and do things a little differently now. But the fact is that a lot of people don't have enough protein in their diet (it doesn't have to be "meat,meat,meat") and they don't understand how their body stores and uses fat. After further research I concluded that Atkins wasn't the optimal way to burn fat, but it was fairly close to the mark on a lot of points.

[Skittles]

41. Do not assume I do not know the facts, I've read up on Atkins

it calls for TOO MUCH protein. The key to weight loss is exercise and MODERATON. Carbs are not the problem - TOO MANY CARBS are - as is too much of ANYTHING, and that includes PROTEIN.

[peacebuzzard]

24. High protein diets give you bad breath.....

I work with a lot of people who swear by them. And besides getting halitosis who the hell wants to sit around and count calories and fat grams? Just shut your mouth and quit eating if you want to loose weight. It is alot simpler and works just as well or better.

[FlemingsGhost]

8. Links?

Thanks.

[leftistagitator]

10. To which part?

Just to make it a little easier on me, the high protein diet leads to heart disease, meat industry pushes Atkins diet, or something else?

Fine, here are the links I could find on short notice, included in this post so as to not offend you further.

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/46/2731_1666
http://www.courier-journal.com/features/health/2004/01/hf-3-bod0122-8312.html
http://www.goveg.com/feat/diab.html

It was difficult finding the sites that talk of the meats industry link to the Atkin's diet these days, because all I get is 10 pages of links to the mad cow scare on google, and I'm going out for a few hours now so I don't have time to look further. So, in the interest of fairness, I will retract that part of my argument and just rest on the fact that the beef industry is very happy about the success of the Atkins diet. Furthermore, Cartman uses the term "hippies", thank you very much.

[FlemingsGhost]

14. Both that you've just cited.

Keep it to one post, OK?
The thread is NOT about Dr. Atkins and his diet.

P.S.
"Hippies? LOL. Who actually still uses that word?!

[stopbush]

12. Atkins was only overweight at his death because the hospital

filled him with fluids while he was in a coma. So, he retained a ton of fluids. You could say his weight shot up because they took him off his diet! He was under 200 lbs shortly before the accident. It's all been documented, and I think you probably know that.

BTW - Atkins hardly advocates that you eat "pure meat for the rest of your life." Where the hell did you get that whopper? You may do well to actually read about Atkins before making such ridiculous claims. Try here: http://atkins.com/

Further BTW - I was a pretty strict vegetarian for the better part of 15 years and kept macrobiotic for about 6 years. It was a very difficult lifestyle to stick to, and there were many bad side effects...like intestinal problems up the whazoo. In the end, I gave it up because 1) I always felt hungry and 2) I just didn't feel that good most of the time.

I've been on Atkins for over three years. At 49, my bad cholesterol has sunk like crazy, my good cholesterol is up, I've lost 35 lbs, and I walk 5 miles every day and swim whenever I get the chance. I've never felt better. For me, I avoid all of the processed food crap and bread, and that pretty much does it for me. I do eat more protein than I used to (atkins recommends a good mix of meat & vegetables...if you actually read and follow the diet), but the truth is that the *volume* of food that I consume has dropped significantly. I feel full on Atkins, and I've never even had a thought of starving myself while on it. Oh yeah, I drink a lot more water now than I used to.

[leftistagitator]

15. Funny

The story I had been told from the Atkins advocates I know to justify Dr. Atkins problems was some genetic disorder crap that they refused to prove with medical records. Your testimonial is about the opposite of mine, I used to eat meat all the time and was grossly fat. A year ago I cut back on meat, almost completely eliminating red meat from my diet. I also cut soda and fast food from my diet, and began daily exercising. Now I eat a lot of friut, namely the evil potato, oranges, banannas, grapes, ect... and a lot of chicken or turkey. I've lost 80 pounds on my diet and am far closer to my ideal body type. I never go hungry, I never feel sick, and I did it without putting my body at undue risk on the Atkins diet.

[Kolesar]

17. My fitness consultant reminded me that meat is hard on your kidneys

All of those proteins have to leave your body through the kidneys. One's kidneys will not last forever.

[chasqui]

33. well, neither will any of us.

Did this fitness consultant tell you more about the timeframe in which this will happen?

[metisnation]

34. especially

OBL's if the story is even true.

[FlemingsGhost]

22. Congratulations!

You created a successful dietary/excercise regimen that is suited for YOUR body. Not mine, his or hers. YOURS.

See my point?

P.S. Really, congratulations. You should be very proud of yourself.

(on edit: typo)

[progressivebydesign]

20. You know..

if you had avoided processed foods, and exercised the way you do now, you would have lost the weight, etc., anyway. The truth about diets is that it forces people to be aware of their eating habits, and to shun the same things that they should shun, diet or not. You don't need to buy 6 dollar brownie mixes with the name Atkins on it, or shop in Low Carb stores to get the same results. Eat better stuff, eat less, exercise more = lose weight. Simple!

[Kolesar]

16. I have always suspected that behind the Atkins diet you will find

the machinations of the meat industry.

I live on vegetables and carbohydrates and I don't put on weight even when I go without exercising for months.

[progressivebydesign]

19. I'm a carb fiend.. sugar-lover, and I wear a size 6.

What would I do without my pasta and rice??? And Milanos?

[Ms. Clio]

31. He was not "grossly overweight and unfit"

The man slipped on an icy sidewalk, fractured his skull and was in a coma for a month, which caused edema--you do know what that is, right? He also had a heart condition from a virus that he contracted 3 years previously. But he was interviewed on Dateline shortly before his accident, and was fit, healthy, and playing tennis.

The real industries that are in a panic are the junk food and sugar pushers.

Studies have demonstrated that a low carb diet lowers "bad" cholesterol and increases "good" cholesterol.

Atkins is not a "pure meat" diet--it includes lots of veggies and even whole grains, on the maintenace plan.

But please don't let any facts interfere with your ridiculous rant.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

35. Atkins didn't become "grossly overweight" until he went into a coma...

...as a result of his head injury.

You seem to have some personal issues...maybe you should get those resolved before you start attacking other DU posters.

[leftistagitator]

36. Thank you for the advice

Yes, I do have a personal issue. Dr. Atkins diet will, in the opinion of dietitians whom I trust more than him, result in the early death of many who take it. I know I exaggerated his diet, and to be fair his wife claims that he was only overweight, not grossly overweight, before the accident. She also claims that he had a viral condition which caused his heart disease, but only after the tabloids revealed his heart problems to the world. She also is adamant about not releasing his medical records, which would prove her story if true, despite the fact that this man is claiming to be the model for how we should take care of our selves and is going against established medical opinion. The thing which really bugged me though was the persecution complex the person I replied to seems to be under. And for a diet of all things, no one is going to take your precious dairy and meat products away and force you to go vegan. He's acting like we just nailed Atkins to the cross.

Perhaps I was too snarky replying to what I believe was a snarky post, and for that I will apologize. But please don't be condescending to me as it's just as rude as anything I said.

relevant link
http://www.thebatt.com/news/2004/02/11/Scitech/Was-Atkins.Overweight-6...

[ljaycox]

43. Mind your own life, others will take care of their own.

Dr. Atkins diet will, in the opinion of dietitians whom I trust more than him, result in the early death of many who take it."

What other people eat, and thier expected life spans are none of your business. Are you here to "save" people from Atkin's diet. What people eat is their own business.

[w4rma]

39. February 2004: The Truth About Dr. Atkins’ Weight

By Stuart Trager, M.D.

At the time of his injury at the age of 72, after years of following the Atkins Nutritional ApproachTM, Dr. Atkins’ recorded height was 6 feet and his recorded weight was 195 pounds.

In today's Wall Street Journal a grossly distorted story on the health of Dr. Robert C. Atkins reported that he weighed 258 pounds at the time of his death, making him obese. In fact, the day after his fall, Dr. Atkins' weight was recorded as 195 pounds, 63 pounds less than reported at his death! Based on the body mass index (BMI), a desirable range for people over the age of 65, is 24 to 29. At a height of 6 feet, Dr. Atkins’ BMI was 26.4, putting him squarely in the normal range for his age.
...
Dr. Atkins' weight was consistently and frequently documented in the years and months prior to his fall; as he was suffering from cardiomyopathy, his health was monitored closely. Despite this, he regularly played tennis, his favorite sport. His weight at his death was a result of water retention. During his coma, as he deteriorated and his major organs failed, fluid retention and bloating dramatically distorted his body.
...
http://atkins.com/Archive/2004/2/10-133186.html

[progressivebydesign]

18. Atkins Diet = extreme caution!

My sister's boss, a 32 year old woman of average weight. Has been on the Atkins Diet. following it religiously, but not taking any supplements. She had a heart attack last week. She lived, thankfully. The official medical reason? She was almost NO potassium in her system. Her heart actually stopped on the way to the hospital. She had been following the diet, but was not eating any potassium-rich foods, like potatoes or bananas. The doctor told her he has seen many more like her because of that diet. It was a fad that died in the 70's, and it's back. ANYONE can lose weight if they eat less food, and exercise more.. that is sustainable, and not unhealthy. When I see tiny bags of Atkins brownie mix in the store, for 6 bux, I realize the truth about it. Done right, perhaps you'd only damage your kidneys, done even slightly wrong, it can kill you.

This woman had NO heart disease, did not smoke, did not drink, was not more than 15 pounds overweight. No genetic risk, either. It was all because of no potassium.

[Skittles]

42. I agree it is a fad

and it shocks me to see people falling for it all over again.

[peacebuzzard]

23. Powerbars are high sugar content....

have you ever looked at the ingredients list? Corn syrup (or fructose or something equivalent) is like the #1 or #2 primary ingredient. And the price is at least 1.50. You get the same energy and nutrition from fig newtons or probably a snickers.

[Kolesar]

27. bicycling magazine said fig newtons are a great substitute

and a lot cheaper than expensive boutique energy bars.

[mr_hat]

9. But his bars will live on (and on and on and on...) Banana Nut. Yeacch!

[SidDithers]

11. Lots of people die of heart attacks...

Many of them in their 40's and 50's. Some in their 30's. Out of an entire population, some are bound to be marathon runners.

Anecdotal stories aside, I would bet that marathoners are generally among the most healthy members of the population.

Sid

[progressivebydesign]

21. This is sad..

51 is the prime of your life. There must have been some genetic problem at work. I doubt he smoked or had any other risk factors.

[SoCalDem]

26. I am a fatalist.. I believe that everyone of us has a built-in

"timeclock".. You might be able to maximize your health, but I have seen far too many "healthy young people" just keel over dead, and also a lot of 90-something old geezers who smoke, drink, and stuff their pie-holes... to believe otherwise..

If you want to look great, live long, and be healthy... choose your parents wisely :)

[Robin Hood]

28. Great minds think a like.

That is exactly how i see it. It all comes down pre-determined genes. There is little to no free will until we can truly manipulate peoples genes.

Until then you can do all that modern medicine tells you to do and still keel over when you are pre desposed to.

It's true, we are all going to die. There's no getting around it. You must deal with it.

[FlemingsGhost]

29. Quantum Physics says otherwise

At our most basic physiological makeup, energy and matter are the same. According to physicists, we are simply impulses of energy, constantly reacting and changing with each physical action, intellectual thought and emotional experience.

They hypothesize that the human body has absolutely no predisposition to illness, or even aging for that matter! It is our emotional disposition that "trains" or codes our cellular structure and chemical and protein receptors, thus establishing the manner in which we recieve vital cellular nutrients.

Fascinating stuff...

[Robin Hood]

38. This does not take into account genetics.

n/t

[BeFree]

30. Sold Powerbar for 375M?

Man o' man. He was rich as could be and he still kicked the bucket. Probably had the best insurance and everything. Yep, when it's time to go, it's time to go.

[nolabels]

32. Egg-Zack-Lee

Who would of guessed (probably a good cardiologist)but there is that other small percentage they miss. The ones that are just about impossible to predict.

Could look on the bright side, at least he didn't have spend inordinate amounts of time and money to fight some incurable disease :think:

[R Hickey]

40. It might be that when he got rich he stopped exercising.

Perhaps he was in good shape when he was younger, but then stopped exercising for his last few years.

Selling his company for $375 million may have caused him to eliminate his exercise routine. Maybe he just let himself go, got lazy and out of shape, and his arteries became clogged up.