From the believe it or not file a Rochester, New Hampshire doctor had a patient file a complaint against him with the state after he told the obese woman to lose weight.
Dr. Terry Bennett indicates that he tells his obese patients that their excess weight is bad for their health and their love lives. One patient took offense, saying that the comments were more hurtful than helpful.
Bennett was shocked by the complaint but says he did write a letter of apology to the woman when he found out she was offended by his comments.
'I told a fat woman she was obese,' Bennett says. 'I tried to get her attention. I told her, 'You need to get on a program, join a group of like-minded people and peel off the weight that is going to kill you.' '
Unfortunately, the New Hampshire Board of Medicine took the complaint very seriously and recommended that Bennett be sent a confidential 'letter of concern.' It also asked the state Attorney General to investigate.
The Attorney General's office recommended that Bennett attend a medical education course and acknowledge that he made a mistake. Bennett refused.
'Physicians have to be professional with patients and remember everyone is an individual. You should not be inflammatory or degrading to anyone,' board member Kevin Costin explained.
Other overweight patients of Dr. Bennett have backed him on this issue.
'What really makes me angry is he told the truth,' Mindy Haney told WMUR-TV on Tuesday. 'How can you punish somebody for that?'
Haney said Bennett has helped her lose more than 150 pounds, but acknowledged that she initially didn't want to listen.
'I have been in this lady's shoes. I've been angry and left his practice. I mean, in-my-car-taking-off angry,' Haney said. 'But once you think about it, you're angry at yourself, not Dr. Bennett. He's the messenger. He's telling you what you already know.'
Coming next to an Attorney General's office near you: Doctors in trouble for recommending that patients quit smoking. That threat of lung cancer, emphysema and heart disease is really, really upsetting.
