Could your doctor be liable for prescribing Atkins?
 

http://www.msnbc.com/news/788799.asp#BODY

Check out the article link above. The article is Titled "Fat Suits: Who’s to blame for flab?" It mostly discusses the crazy guy suing Fast food for making him unhealthy, but I'll quote the interesting part about Atkins:

"Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine — an advocacy group that has a beef with beef — applauds the Barber lawsuit.
“There is no question we have to take responsibility for our activities but it’s harder when people aren’t entirely clear what their risks are. There are clear-cut risks of tobacco, but the risks of going into a fast food restaurant are unclear,” Barnard said.
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is using this ad to warn doctors against prescribing high-protein diets.
So he argues people who give faulty nutrition information should be liable, whether it’s food industry advertisements that suggest beef is as healthy as chicken or doctors who prescribe the Atkin’s diet — the controversial meat-heavy, low-carb weight-loss regimen — to their patients.
In fact, PCRM is launching an ad campaign next week in medical journals warning doctors they could be liable for any health problems resulting from the high-protein diet, such as diabetes or kidney stones.
“I know we’re playing hardball,” Barnard said. “The tactic is to try to get purveyors of bad diets to back off and provide healthier diets.”

By this reasoning, they are equally liable for the effects of all of their low-fat prescriptions as well.

Cheers,

Friday

Inbelievable, just unbelievable. These are the direct descendants of the leadership of the Catholic who tortured Galileo for saying the earth revolved around the sun instead of vice versa! It never dawns on them that they could be wrong. I keep hoping someone will bring a class action suit against the USDA and the AMA for lying to the American people and causing the hypertension, diabetes, and obesity that has ensued from their stupid low-fat fad diet.

Karla

No more liable than they would be for prescribing statin drugs that kill more people than they actually help.
They must really be feeling threatened to resort to using scare tactics on doctors that actually have the nerve to think outside the box and try something new when they recognize that the current recommendations are making their patients sicker.

hmmmmm........
 

It certainly doesn't make me want to become a Doctor when I grow up.

Libby

And let's not leave out the American Dietetic Assn. that has perpetuated the myth that a high-carb diet is good for diabetics!!!

Dr. Stephen Byrnes has posted more insights into the PCRM and their anti-Atkins shenanigans. Check out PCRM Attacks Atkins Diet in our Low-Carb Studies and Research forum. He's provided links to more information, and addresses where folks can voice their support for Atkins and low-carb diets.

Doreen

Also here is his email address if you wanted to email Dr Byrnes with your successes.

DrByrnes~powerhealth.net

I simply informed him that if he pressures patients to sue high-protein doctors, then he's gonna see a whole bunch of people suing low-fat doctors.

If we all inform him that this could happen, maybe he'll stop being so anit-everything in the world except for plant life.

And that it's okay for diabetics to eat sugar as long as they "cover" it with more medication. Reason given? They don't want diabetic patients to feel deprived. THIS is a reason to allow and even encourage someone to consume a substance that could kill them?

i guess than any doctor that gives us the pyramid of food should be sued and any doctor that says eat your apples or carrots should be sued, i mean think about it, everyone who has had cancer ate a carrot or apple in there life and some have died.
i really don't think doctors should be sued over diet issues and such, because we as humans are smart enough and have the capability of searching out these things, i know doctors are supposed to be smart but they do not know everything and we need to question them. everyone has the agency to do as they please with or w/o a doctors prescription. i watched a thing on tv last night about medical boards locking up med records especially of DR's that have been sued... basically it is against the fed law to get those records, so really how do you know the doctor is any good or not... we really don't...that is what second and third and so on opinions are for. and our own common sense. sorry so winded, just my lil opinion

Um, I think you might've misunderstood Dr. Byrnes' post, which I gave the link to in my message above.

Dr Stephen Byrnes is an active member of our forum, and strong supporter of low-carb :) The letter in his post, to which I gave the link in my message above ( PCRM Attacks Atkins Diet ) .. is not his own, but rather was sent to him by a colleague. Here is Dr. Byrnes' comment to that letter, which you can read at the beginning of his post Hope this clears up any further misunderstanding.

Doreen

When are people going to start taking responsibility for their bad decisions? Probably never, as long as money and fame are involved. :rolleyes:

Those so-called "responsible medicine" folks are NUTS if they think doctors should be sued for recommending something to patients *unless* there is *clear evidence* that whatever was recommended was harmful to that patient, and that the doctor should have known that fact. (Actually, that could be criminal negligence.) There is no solid evidence that low-carbing is harmful. If doctors could be liable for low-carb related problems, then they'd be liable *every time* a medication or lifestyle change had *any* negative health concequences. It happens all the time! The law suits would never end!

Imagine the law suits from people folling low-FAT diets - the side effects being everything from depression and food obsession to diabetes.

Besides, doctors are supposed to inform you of your *choices* and the benefits and risks associated with those choices. The decisions are up to you. Your doctor does not own your body. You have veto power. Your body, your responsibility.

oh crap I feel like a heel!!!!

I thought Dr Byrnes was really against L/C

Oops!!!


Stupid stupid stupid me

sorry for the misinfo!

Oh, pish, tush...not to worry! As someone upstream here noted, we are all responsible for our own decisions, and someone else pointed out the misinformation, so don't fret about it, it was an honest mistake.

I'm just glad this thread was begun.... :)


I am really conflicted about using animals for food, myself...I love to eat them, but don't want them to suffer for it. I know I cannot reconcile these two views, so I suffer instead. I give full marks to PETA and all the rest of the orgs that fight for animal rights, even while I continue to eat animals. Nuts, I know I am!!!