News Release

Monday, February 9, 2004

CONTACT: Colleen Young, 202-686-2210, ext. 330, cyoung~pcrm.org

New Ad Links Meat-Eating and Impotence

Provocative Commercial Premieres this Valentine’s Day on CNN, ESPN, and Lifetime

Miami, FL—Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is debuting a provocative ad to alert men and their partners of the link between fatty, meat-heavy diets and erectile dysfunction (ED). The ad, titled “Room 103,” depicts a romantic hotel room and a steamy sexual encounter that comes to a crashing halt because of ED. The camera then pans to the remains of what the couple had had for dinner—a meat-heavy, high-fat dinner on the room service tray. The ad ends with the tag line, “Eating meat contributes to artery blockages—and that can make you impotent.” PCRM is launching the campaign in Miami on CNN, Lifetime, and ESPN the week of Valentine’s Day.

“Many middle-aged and older men are taking drugs like Viagra, not realizing the problem is their diet—loaded with saturated fat,” says PCRM nutrition director Amy Lanou, Ph.D. “Artery blockages don’t just affect the heart. They can hit any organ.”

Jody Gorran, a 53-year-old Florida businessman, personally experienced both ED and cardiovascular disease while following the meat-heavy Atkins diet. After two years on the diet, Mr. Gorran needed his first Viagra prescription, and six months later, underwent his first angioplasty after having developed a 99 percent blockage of a major coronary artery. Mr. Gorran says, “Erectile dysfunction was the least of my problems. After my cardiac procedure, I refused to continue on the Atkins diet. I switched to a healthy, low-saturated fat diet. Within 60 days, my cholesterol level dropped from 215 to 146, and much to my surprise, I didn’t need the Viagra anymore.

“We encourage men experiencing ED and who are following any fatty diet—including Atkins—to switch to a low-fat, low-cholesterol vegetarian diet. It will help them lose weight healthfully and may also help them function better sexually,” says Dr. Lanou.

For more information on the dangers associated with the Atkins diet, please visit www.AtkinsDietAlert.org. For a copy of “Room 103” or to schedule an interview with Dr. Amy Lanou or Jody Gorran, please contact Colleen Young at (202) 686-2210, ext. 330, or cyoung~pcrm.org.


http://pcrm.org/news/health040209.html

Their mindless scare tactics are really getting old. I wonder how many people have lived well into their 60's and beyond without any sort of heart issues while still eating meat. I'm sure the numbers are staggering.

Maybe they'll be willing to release Mr. Gorran's medical records to help prove their case.

Am torn between laughter and disgust.

That's just plain silly! How stupid do they think people are?

Of course not!! That would be "unethical"!!

Ahahahaha!

“Eating meat contributes to artery blockages—and that can make you impotent.” is an AWESOME quote.

It would be a violation of Federal law for anyone to release or publish his medical records without his consent. What I'd like to see is for Mr. Gorran to release his medical records (including records from the time prior to his beginning Atkins) to the public to support his assertions that what he claims is, indeed, fact. I doubt we're ever likely to see that, though. I'd also like to see him state exactly what he ate on a regular basis during the time he claims to have been following Atkins. For all we know, he was eating nothing but margarine and Frankenfoods filled with transfats.
Mr. Gorran may also be interested to know that a very low fat diet can decrease testosterone levels.

It's clear to most who've done any reading that the PCRM is affiliated with the animal-rights group PETA, at least financially and philosophically. At Christmas, PETA sponsored ads and billboards that featured a droopy Santa looking woefully down the front of his pants, with the admonition that "Santa is not coming this Christmas .. Milk can make you impotent. Soy brings joy" .. http://www.goveg.com/feat/Santa/santa.html (notice the "research" links in that article go to the PCRM website)

They neglect to inform the reader that the liver normally makes 80% of the cholesterol our bodies require to function every single day .. only 20% comes from the diet. If we don't eat enough cholesterol, then the liver will manufacture the remainder anyway.

Eating high fats with high carbs will have a negative effect on cholesterol and heart health, as will consuming transfats from hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. Eating natural saturated fat will raise cholesterol, but it raises HDL the "good", as well as LDL .. however the type of LDL that's increased by natural saturated fat is now believed to be healthy. A recent study showed that eating pure butter did indeed raise the LDL cholesterol level, but it was the large LDL particle type, which is believed to be beneficial. It's the small dense LDL particles that are bad, and these mostly come from hydrogenated polyunsaturated transfats. Check out this thread in the Research forum .. Butter vs. transfats.

A lowfat vegan-vegetarian diet based on grains and high-glycemic carbs such as corn, wheat and fruits will negatively affect cholesterol and triglyceride levels .. even if the only oils consumed are vegetable-based.

As for erectile dysfunction .. it's well-known that this can be a side effect from cholesterol-lowering drugs, among other meds. Better to use a carb-controlled diet, exercise and supplements to improve cholesterol and heart health, lose weight and improve energy.


Doreen

We will never see those medical records. And if the claim he was "on Atkins" is true, how do we know he wasn't half-"Asskins" the entire two years? Which would create problems? I found it interesting that he didn't claim to lose any weight, which would have supported his claim he was actually doing Atkins and doing it correctly.

Exactly my point.

Hmmmph. You'd think those hunter-gatherers would have never procreated given all the impotence that a nice mammoth rib causes.

--Scott (whose wife can testify that a high-protein diet doesn't seem to have that effect on everyone).

great post, Scott!

Okay, I am not a prude, in fact sometimes I'm a little too vulgar, and I think that's awful. Billboards that said "Santa's not coming this Christmas"? Billboards?!?! Eeeeeeewwwwww. These people have no shame.

It must be being a new parent, but all I can think of is driving by that and having my son ask (in a few years, when he can read and speak), "Why isn't Santa coming, Mommy? What do they mean?"

Luckily, I'm still close to my teenage years and I wallow in crudeness, so this ad thingy makes me laugh my rear end off.

It's creative and funny, I agree, but I don't think it belongs on a billboard. If I were a vegetarian and not a mother I'd probably think it was great. <sigh> Maybe this is just proof that I'm really, truly old. My husband turned 33 yesterday and I told him that now we were both definitely not to be trusted (I'm 31). Happens to everyone, I guess.

I actually find more humor in the pure absurdity and gall, myself. Though I'd find it less funny if I saw it, instead of reading about it. I'll agree though, it *doesn't* belong on a billboard.

Don't feel old...when it gets down to it, I wouldn't want any young children seeing it, either. Actually, I wouldn't want my (hypothetical) kids to see many of the billboards out there. Or most of these magazines, especially teen and beauty magazines. Or almost everything on TV... =/ There sure is a lot of influential c**p out there in society.