Skip to main content

Atkins medical report - should not have gone public

By
The cardiologist who is accused of inappropriately getting a report on the death of Dr. Robert Atkins has said he never wanted the report to end up in the media.

According to the New York City medical examiner's office, Dr. Richard Fleming was sent a copy of the report when he asked for it (it was mistakenly sent).

The office thinks that Dr. Richard Fleming then gave it to Physicians for Responsible Medicine and they released the details (a few days ago).

Reports like this are only ever sent to a doctor who had been treating the patient. A spokeswoman for the New York medical examiner said that her department sent a letter to Nebraska health officials. The letter said that Fleming inappropriately got and distributed a copy of its report. Fleming denies this.



Fleming said that he clearly stated he was not a physician who had been treating Dr. Atkins or any family member.

The report contained details about Dr. Atkins weight and his medical history.

According to the report he died a fat man (quite obese). For someone who created a diet for staying slim this information could shock and puzzle people (it could make people think the whole diet is a sham).

He also had a history of heart problems (according to the report). As the Atkins diet claims to help heart conditions this information could further confuse and alarm people.

Fleming said that his interest was purely scientific. He wanted to gain insight into the health effects of the Atkins diet (low carbs, high fat and protein) which millions of people around the world are on. Atkins Diet books have sold over 15m copies.

Fleming said he felt betrayed as the information in the report was intended solely for research and not for the media.

However, Dr. Neal Barnard (President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) insists it was Fleming who took the initiative to contact his staff about the report.

Barnard said that Fleming was well aware that the report was being released to the press.

Barnard said that the intention was to stop the promotion of the Atkins Diet (the intention of releasing the information).

The Atkins Physicians said that Dr. Atkins heart condition was due to a viral infection (not the diet). It also said that he retained a lot of fluid while he was in a coma (for eight days) and this caused his weight to increase.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is too much soy bad for men?

By
While soy may be beneficial to women in a variety of ways, research in monkeys suggests that it could have an adverse effect on the behavior of men, according to researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Reporting in the current issue of the scientific journal Hormones and Behavior, the researchers found that in male monkeys, "long-term consumption of a diet rich in soy isoflavones can have marked influences on patterns of aggression and social behavior." Isoflavones are a naturally occurring plant estrogen in soy protein. "Although considerable attention has been directed at the potentially beneficial effects of isoflavones in reducing the risk of various cancers, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and postmenopausal symptoms, less effort has been invested in characterizing neurobehavioral effects," according to the study.
4 comments
Read more

How to help your overweight child

By
HEALTHY EATING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY habits are key to your child's well-being. Eating too much and exercising too little can lead to overweight and related health problems that can follow children into adult years. You can take an active role in helping your child-and your whole family-learn healthy eating and physical activity habits that may last for a lifetime. IS MY CHILD OVERWEIGHT? Because children grow at different rates at different times, it is not always easy to tell if a child is overweight. If you think that your child is overweight, talk to your health care provider. Your health care provider can measure your child's height and weight and tell you if your child is in a healthy range. HOW CAN I HELP MY OVERWEIGHT CHILD? Involve the whole family in building healthy eating and physical activity habits. It benefits everyone and does not single out the child who is overweight. Try to: - Be supportive - Encourage healthy eating habits - Encourage daily ph
Post a Comment
Read more

Eating Fiber Reduces The Risk Of Heart Disease

By
A new study shows eating dietary fiber specifically from fruits and cereals lowers the risk of heart disease. Previous research has suggested a connection between higher intake of fiber and lower risk of heart disease. However, few studies have actually looked at the dietary fiber from different sources and the relationship to heart disease. In a recent study researchers analyzed several studies to determine whether the source of dietary fiber had any effect on the reduction in heart disease risk. The research included information from 91,058 men and 245,186 women. Each study recorded what kind of foods and how much the participant ate. Researchers say among the total participants, 5,249 suffered from heart disease and 2,011 died from coronary heart disease during the six- to 10-year follow-ups. For each 10-gram increment of fiber consumed per day, study researchers found a 14-percent decrease in the risk of coronary heart disease. They also found for each 10-gram increment o
Post a Comment
Read more