BRITONS have had their fill of the Atkins diet. Atkins Nutritionals UK, a subsidiary of the US-based corporation, has been shut down as consumers go in search of carbohydrates.

The Atkins plan, in which dieters cut out foods such as bread, potatoes and rice in favour of protein-rich meat, fish and cheese, soared in popularity after celebrity followers claimed substantial weight losses.

Consumers desperate for the trimmer figures of dieters such as Jennifer Aniston and Robbie Williams adopted the Atkins plan and food companies marketed low-carbohydrate products. Atkins Nutritionals UK launched a range of breakfast cereal-style bars, chocolate snacks, fortified milkshakes and baking mixes in late 2003.

Ready-to-eat salads followed, accompanied by a multimillion-pound marketing campaign designed to promote the diet as a healthy weight-loss plan. Now it appears that interest in a diet that cuts out staple foods has waned.

Yesterday the Atkins Nutritionals UK, based in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, was scrapped. An administrator is expected to be appointed today. A spokeswoman for the US parent company blamed competition from rivals for the demise of the business.

While many appear to have tried the Atkins diet, research published by Mintel last year suggested that although 5.6 million adults had toyed with dropping carbohydrates, those who had stuck with the regime had fallen to 1.35 million.

Critics say the plan is a health risk when devotees give up fruit and vegetables and switch to fry-ups and red meat, increasing the risk of heart disease and kidney problems.

Atkins fans, including Renée Zellweger, have shed weight. But other followers, including actress Amanda Redman, have complained of health problems.

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