Diet Doc, DO

[njaqua]

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Do you think that all these DOs on diet pill commercials (I know of at least 3) is good b/c it increases exposure or do you think it is a bad association (e.g. damages credibility)?

 

[Sirius Black]

I think this is horrible exposure! It makes us look like we don't know crap about science! Anybody who has the slightest clue about nutrition knows that there is no "magic pill" for weight loss, and that limiting caloric intake and exercising regularly is the only true way to lose weight. Since DOs are supposed to be advocating preventive medicine, I'm surprised that the AOA is not furious about all these commercials! How's it going to look upon DOs when someone has a heart attack and dies from one of these unregulated supplements?

When you guys get your DO degree, PLEASE do us all a favor and don't do a commercial for diet pills, no matter how much they pay you!!! If you want to become famous for preventing obesity, get involved with some real studies with leptin and neuropeptide Y.

 

[jbone]

21,000th thread on this issue. 😴 😴

 

[KeyLime]

The commercials just add fuel to the fire in some pre-allo threads.

I wish the commercials would go away.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Do you think that all these DOs on diet pill (I know of at least 3) is good b/c it increases exposure or do you think it is a bad association (e.g. damages credibility)?

I think the problem lies in the fact that this is a major way that people are exposed to DO's. name any famous MD (I got some examples: Bill Frist, Howard Dean, Michael Crichton, to name a few that many Americans would recognize outside a medical context).

now name any DO you've seen outside of physician visit context....they only one I can think of is Jon Marshall (hydroxycut man)

I see no fault in what they do for advertising, money talks. However, I've seen other examples of DOs being used in such marketing schemes, and they seem to exceed the number of MDs in these types of advertisements. There is legitimate concern that public perception could be swayed toward DOs being "snake oil salesmen" when they are legitimate physicians in reality.

 

[jp104]

I think the problem lies in the fact that this is a major way that people are exposed to DO's. name any famous MD (I got some examples: Bill Frist, Howard Dean, Michael Crichton, to name a few that many Americans would recognize outside a medical context).

now name any DO you've seen outside of physician visit context....they only one I can think of is Jon Marshall (hydroxycut man)

I see no fault in what they do for advertising, money talks. However, I've seen other examples of DOs being used in such marketing schemes, and they seem to exceed the number of MDs in these types of advertisements. There is legitimate concern that public perception could be swayed toward DOs being "snake oil salesmen" when they are legitimate physicians in reality.

Ivan Raimi, the brother of Sam Raimi and writer of Army of Darkness, is a DO. Hail to the King baby!

Oh yeah and the guy that the movie "The Fugitive" is based off of is a DO...was an MD in the movie with Harrison Ford though 😛

 

[Red Beard]

For ever DO-backed crackpot product, I can find many more that are MD-backed.

Can we stop having this same topic posted every month?

 

[Dr JPH]

Give me a break. This doesnt reflect poorly on DOs in any sense. Anyone who is worried about that is out of touch and irrational.

If someone was going to pay me $100,000 to sell some pill I would do it too.

Dont bash the DOs for selling the product, congratulate them for getting paid.

 

[njaqua]

For ever DO-backed crackpot product, I can find many more that are MD-backed.

Can we stop having this same topic posted every month?

True, it is an association heuristic in that the DOs are remembered more or seem to stand out. Ironically that they are the minority makes them more memorable when seen on tv and thus seems like you see it more often.

I liked the AMA commercial with the DO but come on, a diet pill commercial? I A physician should have more integrity than that. Regardless of what they say, not all publicity is good publicity.

Sorry that this has been hashed out before. I don't venture to the osteo forum much anymore. It finally got to me the other day watching tv and I was curious want you all thought of it.

peace.

p.s. it seems they are all residents as well.

 

[GregsAnatomy]

Before bashing the DO who appears in the Hydroxycut commercial, look at the bottom of the screen and you'll see who formulated it....

Marvin Heuer, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.

 

[Dr JPH]

A physician should have more integrity than that.

So the product he is advertising is no good?

 

[Sirius Black]

Give me a break. This doesnt reflect poorly on DOs in any sense. Anyone who is worried about that is out of touch and irrational.

If someone was going to pay me $100,000 to sell some pill I would do it too.

Dont bash the DOs for selling the product, congratulate them for getting paid.

He may be getting paid, but potentially at our expense! Whether or not it reflects poorly on DOs, there is no possible way that it could be reflected positively on us. It almost confirms the belief that DOs don't need controlled research trials to prove that something works. What's next, an ad for cranial? Oh I forgot, there's no money in that.

 

[Sirius Black]

Before bashing the DO who appears in the Hydroxycut commercial, look at the bottom of the screen and you'll see who formulated it....

Marvin Heuer, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.

That's even worse! So the DO didn't even formulate the product, he is just the poster boy! It's almost as if Hydroxycut put out an ad seeking a young, fit Dr to advertise for a product that has no FDA-approval and no therapeutic evidence. He was the only one dumb enough to take the job and have his face associated with a product that may end up killing people.

 

[Dr JPH]

He may be getting paid, but potentially at our expense!

A bit dramatic? 🙄

Whether or not it reflects poorly on DOs, there is no possible way that it could be reflected positively on us.

I wonder how many people in the general public see that add and think to themselves "boy, I sure am glad my doc is an MD."

It almost confirms the belief that DOs don't need controlled research trials to prove that something works.

So I guess commercials for drug companies with MDs confirms the belief that MDs only believe in pushing pills. Or commercials for accident lawyers confirms the belief that all lawyers are shady. What about commercials with sports stars and gatorade...confirms the belief that all athletes need fluids.

What's next, an ad for cranial? Oh I forgot, there's no money in that.

Do you know how ridiculous you sound?

"A DO advertising a diet pill is making me look bad."

Give me a break. If a few docs making money on a commercial is going to undermine your credibility, then you likely never had it to begin with.

 

[Sirius Black]

Ok, perhaps I'm being a bit dramatic, and most likely this is not going to affect the credibility of DOs in the future. But I do have a problem with actual physicians, MD or DO, advertising for diet pills to make a quick buck. I mean, it's not like they were living off food stamps prior to their commercials. No, they just have extra money in their pockets now to spend on whatever they please. And secondly, do you remember the controversy over Xenadrine (another unregulated diet pill) a few years back? People died from the ephedra in this supplement, so who is to say that another unregulated supplement with unproven effects won't cause another death?

The fact that there are more DOs than MDs advertising for these diet pills just makes it more personal to me, but the bottom line is, any physician who has went through years of medical school and understands the value of peer-reviewed research should not be advertising for diet pills. The fact that you just don't seem to care, and are even commending them for making some extra dough, is disturbing to me.

 

[Sirius Black]

So I guess commercials for drug companies with MDs confirms the belief that MDs only believe in pushing pills. Or commercials for accident lawyers confirms the belief that all lawyers are shady. What about commercials with sports stars and gatorade...confirms the belief that all athletes need fluids.

That's not the same thing at all. If a physician, MD or DO, does a commercial for a drug that has been proven to work in Phase III clinical trials and is FDA approved, then that's cool. Even if they're just in it for the money, they're formula is proven to help people so everyone wins. And all athletes do need fluids! What does that have to do with anything?

 

[Dr JPH]

The fact that you just don't seem to care, and are even commending them for making some extra dough, is disturbing to me.

What a few DOs do with their own career has no bearing on my career.

I have yet to have someone say to me "oh...youre a DO...well, I saw a DO recommending a diet pill online so you must not believe in clinical trials."

Do you see how far off that is?

Do I care what Andrew Weil does? Dr Oz? Dr Rey? Or ANY DO? No way!

There are wackos, public and private, in every profession. If you cant distance yourself from them and become a successful physician then you should give up now.

And no, it does not bother me one bit that a DO is pitching some (likely useless) diet pill on TV. If anything I say "GOOD FOR HIM". Students loans are a bitch.

 

[Taus]

as long as they mention something along the lines of "you must also include a proper diet and exercise plan to get the desired results"....its all ok by me

I have seen a variation of that commercial w/ female MD physician from Yale and you don't see any MD's getting all worked up about it...

 

[njaqua]

as long as they mention something along the lines of "you must also include a proper diet and exercise plan to get the desired results"....its all ok by me

Agree

I have seen a variation of that commercial w/ female MD physician from Yale and you don't see any MD's getting all worked up about it...

Yes, and that's because everyone knows what an MD is. People don't know that much about DOs in many parts of the country and the main point is that perhaps this shouldn't be the first exposure of someone to a DO. Nobody is trying to single DOs out.

No, it probably won't make that big of a deal, if at all. However, I'm rarely surprised by people's misinformed opinions and attitudes.

As the OP, I seriously wasn't trying to start a war or anything. People are getting very defensive.
👍

 

[Dr JPH]

So if 'that many people dont know what a DO is', then why worry about it at all?

Do you think the average television viewer knows that the person in that commercial is a DO? If they do notice it, do you think they know what a DO is? And if they do notice it and dont know what a DO is, how many of them do you think will actually take the initiative to investigate? And after all of that, those who do indeed decide to learn what a DO is will (hopefully) learn something positive.

The osteopathic profession has greater troubles than this.

And anyone who gets even a little worked up about it really needs to refocus their energy on other issues.

 

[normalforce]

Isn't there another commercial out for a diet supplement, xenedrene or something like that... who is an MD grad from Yale and did an FP res at St. Mary's something orother....

Oh ya, also, that Trimspa chick, I think her name was Anna Nicole something, she was accepted to 2 carribean med schools. Does that count....

🙂 Give it a rest people....

NF

 

[Dr JPH]

Head On, Apply Directly To The Forehead!

That commercial makes me despise analgesics.

 

[redsoxfan]

honestly, i don't think anyone but us pre-meds, MSs, or docs even notices the initials on the lab coat. most pple just see a lab coat and think Dr. The initials could read "FOC" for full of crap and pple would just think its some sub-specialty. we are the only ones picking up on this stuff...

 

[Dr JPH]

Exactly