N.C. eye doctor before board for telling patient she was fat

I worked in the same building as him. He could seem rather rude at times but it was his blunt nature. I cannot see anyone losing their license over this, maybe if more doctors did we'd have fewer unhealthy people.

I worked in the same building were he has his office at and ran into him frequently.

First of all he was supposedly very good at what he did. He had a loyal following of patients. That I have to respect him for.

He was crusty though. Maybe it was his nature but he could be a mean little SOB. I always thought he was a bit senile or had "short man's syndrome" or something like that. Sometimes he was ok, other times he'd do stuff that made you shake your head. Once he wrote to the local paper and complained because the Blue Ridge Parkway (that cuts through Asheville) wasn't opened in the middle of the winter. Despite it being up high and covered with snow and ice he wanted it cleared so he could drive on it. Another time he was complaining about the gov't, yet he rented to a state agency. He was no gem, he did lose a lease from one agency for constantly trying to increase their rent outside of the build in yearly increases.

I think that if this person was fat (not uncommon in NC) and he said "hey, that weight you're carrying around isn't helping your vision any" then he was well within his rights to do so. The only thing I'm almost 99% sure of was that his delivery probably l

this all depends to me on how it was presented and which story is true. if he poked her in the thighs and made comments that were berating, that is inappropriate.
if he in fact talked about the risks of obesity and diabetes related to her eyesight, that was his job.
where the truth lies i guess is with the fly on the wall in the exam room

A doctor's oath is to "first do no harm". He should've been more tactful with his comments.This was a lack of respect for the patient. Regardless of a person's wealth or health, that patient was right to report him. If you can't be a little more compassionate, then don't be a doctor.Some are good, others, not so. Find you another doctor, sweetheart. Remember, not everybody is obese because of overeating. Some can have other underlying health conditions that affect their weight. God forbid that doctor become old someday; you may never know who's going to give you your last drink of water.

I AM fat, and guess what? I am aware of it, and I love myself, other fat people, and MOST skinny folks, too! I understand- I read almost all of these comments, and except for a few people, everybody basically agrees that we shouldn't sugar coat anything. Well, why don't we apply this rule to EVERY negative human condition? That way, I could walk up to stupid/insensitive people, poke them in the forehead and say, "Hey, buddy, there ain't much in there. Stupid is bad for your health. Better get smart." See how that situation quickly goes wrong? I have had many wonderful doctors, and yes, they all suggested that I lose weight, and I'm doing something about it. However, NONE of them commented on my financial status, family status, or poked me in any unrelated body parts. I'm grateful to my doctors for their honesty AND their bedside manner. By the way- the doctors with the ability to talk to people like human beings don't get sued nearly as much, and there is research to prove it.

It just occurred to me...She's expending an awful lot of energy trying to get this guy in trouble. Perhaps if she cared more about her body than her pride, she'd be using alllll that energy on something useful, like, oh, I don't know, exercise? And you know what? NONE OF THIS CRAP WOULD BE HAPPENING!

It's great to know these comment boards are filled with such healthy, thin, good-looking people! HOTTT!

Here we go again the old politically correct should we tell a fat person she's fat. The liberal state of NC I'am surprised the eye doctor doesn't have more constrain than this. But eye problems do develope from overweight dibetes give the guy a break he's just trying to save a life. She may get the message and turn it around then can be called slim.

I am a physician and find this outrageous- that a medical license is on the line because a patient is insutled! Maybe the doc in question isn't Mr. Sensitive, but telling a patient that she is overweight is his DUTY, just as it is his duty to tell her to stop smoking and take her medicine. She went to the doctor for medical advice and he gave it. So the state of NC might be one highly educated doctor less, one less doctor to save lives and eliminate suffering, one less doctor needed in a crisis, because some overweight patient got INSULTED? Did the patient insult the doctor by not paying her bill? Did she insult the doctor's subsequent patients perhaps by showing up an hour late and wasting THEIR time waiting? I have taken call at 2AM to care for a homeless drunk who spit on me- is that not an insult? What world do we live in that an insulted patient can in any way remove a physician from practice? Suppose it was YOU who needed that doctors help next 2AM but he wasn't there because a fat patient was called FAT?

Everyone is getting so bent out of shape because a doctor had the nerve to tell a patient she was fat...so he wasn't tactful...that's called life and you deal with it. Not every doctor has that "oh let me hold your hand while I tell you the bad news" bedside manner. Obese AKA fat people can get diabetes so quickly it isn't even funny and it can lead to blindness. I'd rather a doctor tell me I was fat than to keep his/her trap shut and let me reach the point where I go blind because I can't stop bending my elbow. And yeah, there are some people who are prediposed to being obese/fat--in my day we called it being big boned...if that is the case then so be it. The last time I checked an eye doctor does go to college for X number of years depending on his speciality within that field and holds a Medical Degree and license. In my book that makes him a doctor. It is reaching the point where people are simply so afraid to open their traps and tell the truth it isn't even funny. Being told you are fat is not any fun but in a lot of cases it is the truth we don't want to hear.

Get real. This doctor did nothing wrong by calling his patient fat. Why “sugar” coat fat? Fat is fat and is unhealthy which causes a multitude of health issues. Seems she is experiencing some of those issues. I just wish fat people and smokers paid increased health insurance rates.

I am not so concerned about this gal being fat. She obviously knows she's fat. The doc could have used a more professional way to address that. My issue is we continue paying funds for moms with children - called WIC. I pay for it every two weeks when I get paid and I think something should be done with that. If a gal continues to get herself pregnant, and can't afford it and no job, etc. - somebody has to pay for the birth, the doctor's care, etc. Then, put something in her so she cannot get pregnant until she is able to, and prove it, to support herself. Then have whatever has been "provided" for her to not get pregnant, then have more children if she wants to. This is not called sterilization, just giving her a chance to straighten herself up and not continue breeding babies that I have to pay for. One slip up okay...but to continue, and knowing full well, we that work everyday, will step in so she can get her free medical, baby care, delivery, and then WIC begins sending her money. I do not like that.