The article I read about this says that he told her that her husband would probably die before she did and that she'd never find another man, which is the comment that prompted the lawsuit. IMHO, that's crossing the line from offering medical advice to making a very inappropriate comment. That would be like my dentist telling me that no one will love me unless I get my teeth capped. Or like (as happened to a friend) having an OB/Gyn tell her that "if she wasn't sleeping with all these boys, she wouldn't have needed the IUD" (after removing it due to infection, and at the time she had just one boyfriend).

Sorry, that should be "complaint" not "lawsuit".

Deja Pseu, I would love a link to that. I don't doubt the possible truth of that for a minute. What bothers me about that--leaving out a "little" detail like that--is that it really makes the press look as biased, or just dumb, as the blowhards on talk radio make the press out to be. Get the story straight, people.

Okay, so the doctor hurt her feelings. Isn't this cause to change to another doctor? And quite frankly, if she's obese and her husband's obese, too, the doctor's probably right. He was probably just trying to scare her into losing weight -- which is a good thing.

I can understand a patient making a complaint - it's the official response that's so disturbing. They tried to get the doctor to accept medical education as his punishment - but what kind of "medical education" teaches doctors to be tactful? It's one thing to have med students be taught about bedside manner and communication, so they don't get so wrapped up in tests and body parts that they forget there is a human involved. But for those who are already doctors, I thought medical education would relate to, umm, medicine. Silly me.

AF, here's an excerpt from the MSNBC article:

He said he tells obese women they most likely will outlive an obese spouse and will have a difficult time establishing a new relationship because studies show most males are completely negative to obese women.

Here's a link to the article:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9035236/

Thanks, Deja Pseu. That puts it in a better context. That it was part of his standard lecture. I can handle that. It was fact-based information based on scientific studies, not a finger-in-her-face smart-a$$ comment. Since I am prone to making such types of comments... :) Thanks Again!

In every large primary care practice (family medicine, etc.) there are at least one or two patients that the doctor should get rid of, i.e. refer to another doctor because sooner or later they will sue you for no reason or any reason-real or imagined. That is not necessarily the case here. It's just that there are a few of these patients out in the world.

If my wife heard something like this from a doctor, and she did after the second baby, she was offended and I could understand why. Professional advice shuld steer clear of personal assessments. I do like bludgeoning some people with the brutally honest truth sometimes though it is better to be kind. Doctors are in business to keep people from suffering as well as keeping people healthy. Having some humanity and showing compassion do go a long way...sometimes. Some people need to hear a painful truth. I think this is true, but if it isn't, then I'm just telling myself it's true so that I can sadistically inflict psychological pain for my own pleasure. I don't just want to bludgeon people with the truth. I just want to bludgeon people for fun and profit.

The way that doctors are educated is likened to the experience of being an abused child. (There is a published paper on this if you care to search. I'm sorry, but I presently don't have the reference at hand.) There are still too many people in a position of power in medicine who confuse bullying with strength. Without insight into this, the abused later becomes the abuser. After a while many doctors think that medicine would be great if it were not for those f***ing patients!

--Regards,

emkeane

I live in Ocean City Maryland these days, which is why I don't have time for the internet. About half the population of this city is comprised of either Russian or Romanian girls. Nine out of ten Russian/Romanians is at least a nine out of ten. Zero are fat. It's really interesting to see these furriners walking the boardwalk when they spot an American whale of a woman. They point and giggle. They actually do. At clubs, men run (literally) from these fat women, because there are so many fit eastern Europeans out and about. Fat women know they're fat, they have to. Any overweight woman should spend one night at Seacrets to dispel her myth that big is beautiful.

Don't sue your doctor for telling you what you're paying Doctor Phil to tell you.

I meant file a complaint, not sue.

Update:

"Let's face it, if your husband were to die tomorrow, who would want you?" the state Board of Medicine says Dr. Terry Bennett told the overweight patient in June 2004.

"Well, men might want you, but not the types you want to want you. Might even be a black guy," it quoted him as saying, based on the woman's complaint.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050830/ap_on_re_us/obesity_complaint