French Doctor Under Fire for Suggesting Kids’ Weights Be Graded
There are grades for scholastic subjects, but what if kids were also graded on their weight? That's something French doctor and diet book author Dr. Pierre Dukan espoused earlier this year, and now he's in hot water with the medical community in his country because of it.
Back in January, Dr. Dukan set off a firestorm of criticism in France when he said the final exams for 17-year-old students there should include an "anti-obesity option" that could be passed as long as the kids stayed within recommended weight guidelines. Critics, including the French College of Physicians, said his idea could negatively impact overweight young women and those who are struggling with anorexia.
In addition, the college accused Dr. Dukan, the author of several best-selling diet books, of neglecting his duties as a doctor and being more focused on commerce than medicine, which is a breach of French medical code that dictates "medicine must not be practiced like a business."
Dr. Dukan now faces an ethics hearing, and if he's found guilty, his punishments could range from a simple reprimand all the way to losing his medical license.
Dukan has sold seven million copies of his 'The Dukan Diet' book, which recommends avoiding starch and carbohydrates. And despite warnings from nutritionists and doctors who say the protein-rich plan could cause heart disease and breast cancer, the diet has reportedly been embraced by celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Kate Middleton.
[BBC]