Fat people are FUNNY!

[PopCulturePooka]

Overly sensitive fat people who can't handle the truth? Funnier still!You want your doctor to be honest with you, even when the news isn't so good, but one New Hampshire physician is in trouble for doing just that. NewsCenter 5's Rhonda Mann reported that he told his patient she was fat. That led to a complaint and an investigation by that state's attorney general's office. "They're trying to define me as a disruptive physician because I told somebody the truth," Dr. Terry Bennett said.

Bennett told a female patient she was fat, adding that her weight put her at higher risk for diabetes, heart disease and even death.

"You come in here for $75 and sit on the couch. I'm not going to sit here and talk about the weather with you. If you are noticeably obese, I know that you're going to have future health problems," he said.

But the patient was so offended that she filed a complaint with the New Hampshire Board of Medicine, which asked the state attorney general's office to investigate.

Bennett said that they told him to take a medical education course and admit he had made a mistake. He has refused. Other patients of Bennett's agree his style can be direct.

"I left the office, took off in my car and decided I was never coming back," patient Melinda Haney said.

Haney did come back, and with Bennett's help, she lost 150 pounds. She and other patients are organizing a petition in support of the doctor.

"Dr. Bennett is protecting us. He's telling us the truth and helping us live longer, healthier lives," she said.

While he stands by his message, Bennett wrote a personal apology to the patient when he learned of her complaint.

"My job is to not offend you, but to educate you, and that's all I'm trying to do," he said.

Under New Hampshire law, medical complaints are confidential, so the complaining patient was not identified.

Bennett is requesting a public hearing on the matter.

I've made many errors in my life, but telling the truth is not one of them," he said.
Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/WCVB/20050824/lo_WCVB/2898916&printer=1;_ylt=Ah6GXh8D.INRXbhgTPqcKWwMBHUA;_ylu=X 3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-)

[Myrsilus]

Bah... I hate stories like these. These doctors try to level with the patient and give them advice to actually live properly and they take offense. Offense to the fact that their own doctor has brought their disorder to their attention. And because of this they feel the need to whine and whine about how their feelings were hurt that the doctor chose not to lie. This is exactly how good doctors are put out of business... Over crap like this.

I'm glad he is still working and obviously has support in his endeavors as a doctor, but damn... Doctors really do not get the appreciation they deserve.

[Jay]

Fat people a re very funny.

[Calz]

obviously the lady must have been in denial...

I know people like that... they're unhappy
Fat people who admit that they're fat seem to be happier

[Chinamerican]

I'm glad he is still working and obviously has support in his endeavors as a doctor, but damn... Doctors really do not get the appreciation they deserve.

Yeah they do. Doctors get paid A LOT more in the US than in comparison to other advanced industrialised nations. And what kind of doctors do you mean? I'm sure all those plastic surgeons across the country are being mighty appreciated right about now :D

[StormShadow]

The PC era is taking over. This is almost as bad as the stories from England about wanting to do away with the word 'Fail' in schools and no longer us red ink in grading. If your fat, your fat, and no matter how sugar coated you try and make it, it ain't gonna change. But down the Krispy Kreme, and hit the gym.

[CNagy]

Yeah they do. Doctors get paid A LOT more in the US than in comparison to other advanced industrialised nations. And what kind of doctors do you mean? I'm sure all those plastic surgeons across the country are being mighty appreciated right about now :D

Doctors get paid alot less than you think. Malpractice being what it is these days, an obscene chunk of a doctor's pay goes towards insurance. Being a doctor is no longer a sure-fire way to high pay and a nice lifestyle.

[Eagle]

If your fat, your fat, and no matter how sugar coated you try and make it, it ain't gonna change. But down the Krispy Kreme, and hit the gym.

Orrrr......by an extra dozen and threaten to sit on anyone who gives you crap about it.

Works for me. :p

[Benaire]

Bah just get the fat sucked out of you and then get it shoved into your lips.

[StormShadow]

Orrrr......by an extra dozen and threaten to sit on anyone who gives you crap about it.

Works for me. :p

You obiously do not have serious problems with your weight. You understand it, and you live with it. But to this woman who gets upset by the news, she clearly must have no perception in the real world, otherwise she would not have acted as she did. I used to be fat. I liked food very much. I got over it, and now I am no longer fat. If your fat and don't have a problem with it, hey, be large and in charge 'cause your happenin' baby! But if your fat and you are denial to the point that you need to sue because somebody told you, you probably have underlying issues which should be addressed by a differant kind of doctor (Psychologist).

[RDClip]

That lady shouldn't have gotten pissy about something so obvious. The article said something like very obese, so I'm assuming that she weighed at least 250 lbs. If she couldn't tell and accept she was fat, she should be going to a psychologist after that doctor.

I hate how PC the US has gotten. It was good when people couldn't use racial or sexual slurs, but not it has become some bullshit crusade to make everyone feel nice all the time. People shouldn't shield everyone from bad things because when something bad unavoidably happens people will breakdown. If teachers can't put 'fail' on a report cart, what will happen when that kid gets fired from his job?

[StormShadow]

Totally. It's like that thing with the NCAA and school mascots. Most of the indian tribes say they are fine with the school mascots. The PC are just looking at everything and saying "Somebody, somewhere, MIGHT find this offensive, or at least feel uncomfortable, so we are getting rid of it." it's crap

[akitaka]

Sue Mcdonalds for making you fat.
Sue the surgeon for screwing up your lipo-suction by ridding your flab.
Sue the doctor for making an offensive comment that was intended to let you know that you're being a sedate and ever-growing piece of lard that will eventually kill yourself for as long as you let this continue.

I'm going heavy-handed on this one. the italicized comments are what they do their best to ignore.

[Jormungand]

mybe he said it in a insulting way or mybe shes just been a bitch

[akitaka]

Read the article and posts above mine; I'm sorry to nit pick mi amigo, but you're re-hashing stuff.

[hahaman]

LMAO!!!!!!!

[Spin Waffel]

I'm old and fat and happy, laugh at me and be happy to!
ha ha ha yow

[Pretentious]

Somewhat off the subject but is it just me or do all fat men sound the same once they reach their mid-30s?

[Myrsilus]

Yeah they do. Doctors get paid A LOT more in the US than in comparison to other advanced industrialised nations. And what kind of doctors do you mean? I'm sure all those plastic surgeons across the country are being mighty appreciated right about now :D
Paychecks will mean nothing if a patient decides to sue the doctor and take away everything they have. Sure there are many cases where such actions are justified, but a lot of the times it's just the same story of the judicial system being manipulated in favor of the "victim". Lawsuits are issued one right after the other and it's getting ridiculous.

This why many doctors have gone on strike in the past. I'm not referring to paychecks, I am referring to patients taking advantage of the fact that a doctor can never have the cure-all pancea or the perfect precision as a surgeon. And it only gets worse, as seen in the article included in the thread. The doctor was only trying to inform the patient of the weight problem and she decided to whine about the said problem. Sorry, I may be too impartial and cold for my own good, but I really see that as pathetic.

And keep in mind that a plastic surgeon does not just offer services to vain men and women, but also those disfigured in accidents. It's much easier to think less of them for the whole plastic surgery craze.

[Firefly]

If a doctor tells me to lose weight, I'll listen. But my family...can be so BITCHY and obsessed with weight. If I'm not a stick, then they'll lecture me for hours every day about losing weight, and will barely let me eat.

I'm someone who is very trustworthy of my doctors. They give me meds that make things better, and I'm happy with that. If they told me to lose weight, then I would. I don't see what the big deal is...unless he actually made fun of her, like "You're a fucking fat ass lose weight and stop eating twinkies, bitch" then well, thats a problem. But just telling someone to lose weight (especially if they're going to uh, have a HEART ATTACK) is not a personal attack.

[Jay]

lose weight

I agree. Lose weigh, fat-arse. :p

[morganlefayw]

From what I read in the article is that whoever this patient is, she refused to accept responsibility for her current state of health. And when the doctor told her to lose weight to help her own health, she refused to be responsible and mature and grown-up about it.
So she sued.
There is a reason doctors go to school for years and years!!! Because they specialize in this field, not this patient who was offended.
To me, what it boils down to is that she didn't want to be responsible for looking after the health of her own body.
RESPONSIBLE!!!! Key word.
Cuz we as a society seem to have forgotten what that means.

[MajorProblem]

I hate to rehash what everyone has said, but I am so tired of lawsuits. My dad owns a small electrical wiring business, and he let his employees take the company trucks to their homes for the night. One employee went and got drunk one night and was driving this truck while intoxicated. He eventually ran head-on into another driver, killing the other driver and himself. The other driver's parents sued my father for $500,000 dollars saying that he should have been responsible for the truck. They won, and while they spend their days at a new house somewhere, my father hasn't been able to afford Christmas bonuses for years for his employees. He also had to take away some holidays. We are still recovering.

I am tired of the American business owner being demonized. As soon as someone hears we own a business, they think we're millionares. Well, we're not. I grew up in a classic suburban neighborhood, I played soccer in the field by the creek, not polo. We had a Suburban and a pick-up, not a Ferrari. And I didn't eat lobster every night, I had mac and cheese. This lawsuit has seriously endangered the possibility of a college education, and helped cause the divorce of my parents. If you ever feel like suing, think about the people that you affect.

[morganlefayw]

You're not the only one tired of these lawsuits. People are sue-happy.

[akitaka]

Naw MP, you're post was just fine. I'm really wondering what's up people's asses when it comes to lawsuits; they aren't for making money, nor are they created to cater to one's emotional "needs". I'm sorry for you father, and your family; lawyers, I think, play with the martyr card way to often. Suing is a coward's way out until you are waging war against a faceless industry that is indeed in fault; unless they hire a more expensive, and not to mention, experienced, lawyer.

[setrict]

I don't mean to blindly label all lawyers, but many if not most are a huge part of the problem.

I'm also a small business owner, but fortunately I haven't been sued yet. I did have a situation that required legal council though, so I started calling around to find an attorney. I called approx 14 offices before I found one that was willing to do hourly rate business matters. The rest were not interested unless you were suing, and they could get a percentage. My attorney died in a plane wreck a few weeks later, and I found exactly one lawyer left that was willing to take on a business client. The rest were ambulance, and settlement chasers. My new attorney just turned out to be just a money chaser who didn't limit himself to settlements. /sigh Bastard charged me $9/page to receive a fax, and $240 to read it.

You can bet that 30-60% of that $500,000 settlement went straight to the lawyer.

[Chinamerican]

Paychecks will mean nothing if a patient decides to sue the doctor and take away everything they have. Sure there are many cases where such actions are justified, but a lot of the times it's just the same story of the judicial system being manipulated in favor of the "victim". Lawsuits are issued one right after the other and it's getting ridiculous.

This why many doctors have gone on strike in the past. I'm not referring to paychecks, I am referring to patients taking advantage of the fact that a doctor can never have the cure-all pancea or the perfect precision as a surgeon. And it only gets worse, as seen in the article included in the thread. The doctor was only trying to inform the patient of the weight problem and she decided to whine about the said problem. Sorry, I may be too impartial and cold for my own good, but I really see that as pathetic.

And keep in mind that a plastic surgeon does not just offer services to vain men and women, but also those disfigured in accidents. It's much easier to think less of them for the whole plastic surgery craze.

This is true but my post was more in reference to the disparaging gap between the rich and the poor in the US. If you look at other advanced industrilialised nations, you'll notice that the income levels are much more evenly distributed compared to the "haves" and the "have nots" in the US.

Just a thought but maybe when you have a universal healthcare system, the quality of the care is better but even if one wanted to sue, they might not just b/c who wants to take on the entire government?

[Expert Insomniac]

Hmmm... I don't understand how this woman really expects to win. Unless she's actually a stick (which I highly doubt) or she's in some major denial. But what's going to happen?

Woman: My doctor told me I was fat!
Judge: Yes. And you are.

I mean seriously. This could be tied up so easily. Exhibit A: a mirror. Exhibit B: a scale. The defense rests, your honor.

[StormShadow]

yeah, but the courts have a tendancy to sie with the stupid people.
Case and point: Man buys coffee at McDonalds. Man spills coffee on self. Sue McDonalds for not warning him coffee was hot. Man makes lots of money. Man buys solid gold toilet and wipes his ass with Jeffersons face.

[Dead Sexy Vocab]

http://www.zaldiva.com/images/TSHIRTS/FAMILYGUY/familyguypeternofatchickstshirt_pic1.jpg

[PopCulturePooka]

yeah, but the courts have a tendancy to sie with the stupid people.
Case and point: Man buys coffee at McDonalds. Man spills coffee on self. Sue McDonalds for not warning him coffee was hot. Man makes lots of money. Man buys solid gold toilet and wipes his ass with Jeffersons face.
Court rules that McDonalds would ruotinely heat their coffee too extreme levels, far beyond the the average temperature other restaurants heath their coffee too. Court finds that in the past decade McD's had settled over 700 similar claims from other people. McD's admitted their coffee wasn't fit for consumption when brought because it was so hot.

http://www.lectlaw.com/files/cur78.htm
http://www.vanfirm.com/mcdonalds-coffee-lawsuit.htm
http://lawandhelp.com/q298-2.htm

[akitaka]

Skin grafts, whirlpool treatment, tens of thousands of dollars in costs.
Yeah, I can understand how she was upset that McDonalds didn't at least settle her bill. But ALL of it seems absurd; there's a part on the customer to know how to manage their food. If a person chokes on a double-whopper, I can't say I'd feel 100% sorry for making it "too big" and pay for all of the funeral expenses. On the flip side, it's a faceless industry; losing even a million dollars won't hurt them.
At least they've learned a lesson in food management, though; namely, temperature regulations. 165 is the hottest any food should have to be, since it's the bacterial killing point. Any more, and you're generally burning your served items.

[StormShadow]

Wow, I didn't know that. I guess that didn't pas the smell test. Hmm, i suppose somebody has done something like this to other companies. Like that lady that put the finger in her Wendy's chili. It was found she probably defrauded other restaurants too, and had gotten bukoo dinero from it.

[KKF]

Yeah they do. Doctors get paid A LOT more in the US than in comparison to other advanced industrialised nations. And what kind of doctors do you mean? I'm sure all those plastic surgeons across the country are being mighty appreciated right about now :D

Not really, if you take into consideration the amount of years they spent studying. Or the amount of hours most doctors work. I have several friends in med school right now. They are all in major debt. They should all finish with six figures worth of debt easily. So after about 12 years of school after highschool you start life working oh about 50 to 60 hours making around 150k a year. But being in about 150k+ in debt doesn't look so hot especially when you wanna buy a house. Not to mention the amount of stress put on you to perform well. Doctors deserve almost every penny they earn.

[Eagle]

Somewhat off the subject but is it just me or do all fat men sound the same once they reach their mid-30s?

Dunno.

I'm 45 and people say they recognise my voice instantly. I guess I don't sound like every fat guy over 30. :rolleyes:

[Chinamerican]

Not really, if you take into consideration the amount of years they spent studying. Or the amount of hours most doctors work. I have several friends in med school right now. They are all in major debt. They should all finish with six figures worth of debt easily. So after about 12 years of school after highschool you start life working oh about 50 to 60 hours making around 150k a year. But being in about 150k+ in debt doesn't look so hot especially when you wanna buy a house. Not to mention the amount of stress put on you to perform well. Doctors deserve almost every penny they earn.

Not if you live in a country like say, Finland where they pay you for being a student. Many European countries are more willing to invest in education than the US *cough* Pell Grant *cough*