Dr. Robert Atkins, the author of a controversial high-protein, high-fat diet plan, died Thursday at the age of 72.

Atkins failed to recover from a fall April 8 when he slipped on an icy sidewalk on his way to work during a New York City snowstorm.

Atkins is best known for his high-protein and low-carbohydrate weight-loss plan, which goes against the accepted dogma of intuitionalists.

Atkins’ 1972 best-selling book, “Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution” regained popularity in 1992, despite its controversial claims. One of Atkins’ dozen books ranks among the 50 best-selling books of all time.

University of Iowa sophomore Dan Kurtzman is currently trying Atkins’ diet, and he has lost 30 pounds in the last month and a half.

“It sounds crazy, but if you read his book, it makes sense,” Kurtzman said. “I lost 15 to 20 pounds in the first two weeks. In the beginning you feel really hungry, but after a while you don’t notice.”

Atkins’ diet recommends that an individual eat only foods rich in protein, primarily meat, and eat only 20 grams of carbohydrates, equivalent to approximately two slices of bread. Atkins’ dieters lose weight quickly because they burn off the fat reserves in their bodies rather than burning the stored energy in carbohydrates they would normally consume.

Kurtzman said his meals in a typical day consist of eggs and bacon in the morning, a hamburger without a bun for lunch, and a dinner of steak, fish or chicken.

“I try to stay away from salad, and I can’t have any fruit because they are so high in sugar and carbs,” he said.

Kurtzman also said he plans to stay on the diet through the summer to reach his target weight of about 200 pounds, down from his original weight of 250.

One study out last November by Dr. Eric Westman of Duke University — funded by the Robert C. Atkins Foundation — concluded that the Atkins diet lowered the type of cholesterol that increases the risk of heart disease more than the American Heart Association’s recommended diet. Patients on the Atkins diet also lost more weight than those on the AHA diet.

Nutritionists have pointed to other unhealthy side effects of the Atkins diet that would not show up in a straightforward cholesterol check, such as restricted blood vessels and insulin resistance, which could cause diabetes.

A yearlong study of the Atkins diet is currently underway through the National Institute of Health. Researchers are studying 360 patients on the diet.