As I opined a few days ago, Dr. Bernstein's diet "secrets" will stay, well, "secret".
The lawsuit he launched against Dr. Scott Seagrist, and Dr. Seagrist's subsequent countersuit, have been settled, just 3 days after the judge ruled that the court would be "open" and we'd learn about Dr. Bernstein's, "Quantum Weight Loss" and B vitamin injections.
I'm guessing it's Seagrist's pockets that are fuller, as I don't believe that there are any secret weight loss formulas, and if there's no secret formula, it'd sure be tough to sue your ex-partner.
But putting aside the question of whether or not Dr. Bernstein truly has an efficacious and reproducible "secret", what do you think of the ethics involved with a doctor who having found a "secret formula" that helps to treat a medical condition, then decides to fight in court to keep it secret?
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...what do you think of the ethics involved in a doctor who having found a "secret formula" that helps to treat a medical condition, then decides to fight in court to keep it secret?
ReplyDeleteYou mean like every physician who takes $ from pharma, device makers, and other money makers at the expense of patients?
I think that medicine needs to be divorced from profiteering pronto or that it gives up its status as profession, if it hasn't already.
When you think about it - how is this different than patented drugs?
ReplyDeleteThe patent system is certainly screwed up, but the intent was for it to be an incentive for NOT keeping secrets. Basically it was a deal that the inventor shares their knowledge with the world for the greater public good, and in return, they could have monopoly rights to it for a period of time.
ReplyDeleteNo, this isn't like a patented drug.
ReplyDeleteThere is no patent here.
It's also not like taking money from pharma.
It's about a doctor who claims to have figured out a better way to treat patients, who doesn't want anyone else to know how to do that.
Personally, I think it is horrible to think a doctor could have "the secret" that could help with obesity and would fight to keep it from patients.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I'm not at all surprised. The Hippocratic oath seems to have been lost on this doctor.
The real truth, I think, is that there is no "secret" and that this is the real reason why he doesn't want his techniques publicized.
Perhaps the placebo effect has a bit to do with it. When you see an "expert" that you place your faith in, you tend to follow the advice more.
But if he really does know something beyond, then shame on him.
Considering the number of doctors that have written diet books, telling all that they know about weight loss, and the number who have started clinics to provide treatments, and the obesity epidemic, no doctor has a uniform workable solution.
ReplyDeleteThe secret is appetite management, combined with eating to down regulate lipoprotein lipase and up regulate hormone sensitive lipase. The previous step in chain is down regulate insulin. Let the liver control blood glucose. Eat accordingly.
Having successfully lost 35 lbs in 6 weeks on Dr. Bernstein's diet, let me tell you the secret- expensive starvation. And ps, I gained it all back. Eat less, move more, address your food addictions and the reasons behind them, take control of your well being, that's no secret I want to keep to myself.
ReplyDeleteHis 'diet' was all the rage around ten years ago in Ottawa with the women I worked with - it's quite simple; pay $100 a week to eat from a very limited list of food, totalling about 500 - 1000 calories per day and receive Vitamin B injections regularly. You need to get blood work done to make sure you are in ketosis. Voila - 5-10 pounds off every week!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I accept cheques and/or money order.
Michelle
PS - Did I mention that about 90% of those women gained back about 125% of the weight lost?