Difference between revisions of "Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine"
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==Overview== | ==Overview== | ||
| − | According to PCRM, it's membership includes 5,000 physicians. <ref>Neal D. Barnard, M.D. [http://www.pcrm.org/news/commentary050908_dairy.html Weight-Loss Ads Are Big Dairy’s Latest Way to Trick Consumers], PCRM, AgWeek, August 2005</ref> | + | According to PCRM, it's membership includes 5,000 physicians. <ref>Neal D. Barnard, M.D. [http://www.pcrm.org/news/commentary050908_dairy.html Weight-Loss Ads Are Big Dairy’s Latest Way to Trick Consumers], PCRM, AgWeek, August 2005</ref> PCRM claims that its members also include other health care professionals, veterinarians and lay persons who support ethical research, laboratory animal advocacy and nutrition based health and preventive medicine. Opponents of the PCRM such as the [[Center for Consumer Freedom]] claim that PCRM is mostly an animal rights [[front group]] seeking to advance a [[vegan]] agenda.<ref>[[Center for Consumer Freedom]] [http://www.consumerfreedom.com/downloads/reference/docs/200810_CCF_7Things_PCRM.pdf 7 things you didn |
| + | t know about about PCRM]</ref> | ||
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| + | PCRM is not a professional society with credentials requirements, but an open membership charity. Memberships are $20.00 and include a subscription to ''Good Medicine'' magazine. <ref>PCRM [http://support.pcrm.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pcrm_home Support PCRM], accessed February 2009</ref> Board members include Dr. Henry J. Heimlich; originator of the ''Heimlich Maneuver'' and T. Colin Campbell, PhD; noted researcher and author of ''The China Study''. <ref>Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II [http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html The China Study], 2005, ISBN 1-932100-38-5 </ref> This study is widely considered to be the most comprehensive study on nutrition and disease in history. | ||
== Nutrition and diet== | == Nutrition and diet== | ||
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==Other groups== | ==Other groups== | ||
| − | PCRM has partnered with [[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]] (PETA) on | + | PCRM has partnered with [[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals]] (PETA) on many issues, including a campaign to reduce animal use in toxicity testing. <ref>Good Medicine Magazine [http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm04winter/gm04winter07.html PCRM 2003: The Year in Review], PCRM, Winter 2004</ref> See also [[animal testing]], section 3 on ''product (toxicity) testing''. |
==Board of Directors== | ==Board of Directors== | ||
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===Advisory Board=== | ===Advisory Board=== | ||
| − | * T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. Cornell University & author of ''The China Study''. This study culminated a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. A comprehensive survey of diseases and lifestyle factors in rural China and Taiwan; it is widely thought to be the most comprehensive study on nutrition and related disease to date. <ref>Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II [http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html The China Study], 2005, ISBN 1-932100-38-5 </ref> | + | * [[T. Colin Campbell]], Ph.D. [[Cornell University]] & author of ''The China Study''. This study culminated a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. A comprehensive survey of diseases and lifestyle factors in rural China and Taiwan; it is widely thought to be the most comprehensive study on nutrition and related disease to date. <ref>Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II [http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html The China Study], 2005, ISBN 1-932100-38-5 </ref> |
* Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. The Cleveland Clinic | * Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. The Cleveland Clinic | ||
* Suzanne Havala Hobbs, Dr.PH., M.S., R.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | * Suzanne Havala Hobbs, Dr.PH., M.S., R.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | ||
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* Myriam Parham, R.D., L.D., C.D.E. East Pasco Medical Center | * Myriam Parham, R.D., L.D., C.D.E. East Pasco Medical Center | ||
* William Roberts, M.D. Baylor Cardiovascular Institute | * William Roberts, M.D. Baylor Cardiovascular Institute | ||
| − | * Andrew Weil, M.D. University of Arizona | + | * [[Andrew Weil]], M.D. University of Arizona |
== Contact == | == Contact == | ||
Revision as of 03:41, 26 October 2009
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a U.S.-based non-profit group. It is self described as "doctors and laypersons working together for compassionate and effective medical practice, research, and health promotion". [1] It was established in 1985 by Dr. Neal Barnard as an advocacy organization for preventive medicine, nutrition and ethics in research. [2]
Contents
Overview
According to PCRM, it's membership includes 5,000 physicians. [3] PCRM claims that its members also include other health care professionals, veterinarians and lay persons who support ethical research, laboratory animal advocacy and nutrition based health and preventive medicine. Opponents of the PCRM such as the Center for Consumer Freedom claim that PCRM is mostly an animal rights front group seeking to advance a vegan agenda.[4]
PCRM is not a professional society with credentials requirements, but an open membership charity. Memberships are $20.00 and include a subscription to Good Medicine magazine. [5] Board members include Dr. Henry J. Heimlich; originator of the Heimlich Maneuver and T. Colin Campbell, PhD; noted researcher and author of The China Study. [6] This study is widely considered to be the most comprehensive study on nutrition and disease in history.
Nutrition and diet
PCRM promotes federal reform on nutrition policies and clinical research on diabetes, cancer and other conditions. It also provides public service announcements on health, cancer and prevention issues. [1] In particular, PCRM works to educate the public about scientific research demonstrating the health benefits of low-fat vegetarian diets. PCRM references the large body of scientific research linking meat and dairy consumption to increased risk of heart disease and diabetes [7], [8] and cancer. [9], [10] See also Meat & Dairy industry, section 6 on animal products & health issues and U.S. Department of Agriculture, sections 4, 5 & 6.
Clinical research on nutrition
PCRM conducts studies on the role of nutrition in relation to health issues such as diabetes, obesity and lipid management. Dr. Barnard's most recent clinical trial for a novel dietary program for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, was funded by the National Institutes of Health. This program set a new standard for dietary approaches for this increasingly common condition. [11]
Research ethics & advocacy
PCRM promotes alternatives to animal testing. They have advocated to end gruesome experiments like Department of Defense (DOD) cat shooting studies, DEA narcotics experiments and monkey self-mutilation projects. They also promote non-animal methods in medical education. Currently, more than three-quarters of all U.S. medical schools have dropped their animal labs for medical students. PCRM advocates for higher standards of ethics and efficacy in research and also opposes unethical experiments involving humans. According to PCRM, while progress has been made in eliminating unethical research, many problems remain. For example, children are still given synthetic growth hormone in experiments to make them grow taller. Both adults and children are also exposed to unnecessary new drugs which have toxic effects. [12] See also animal testing, sections 1 & 3.
Challenging industry and diet claims
National Dairy Council retracts claims after lawsuit
In early 2007, after a lawsuit by PCRM, the National Dairy Council (NDC) retracted its claims of weight loss attributed to dairy consumption. [13], [14]
Atkins diet
In March of 2005, lawyers for Atkins Nutritionals, Inc. admitted in court that they were willing to "assume the diet was dangerous", the first public admission of any kind regarding Atkins diet related health risks. According Dan Kinburn, lead attorney in the lawsuit against Atkins; information requested included the complete medical records of the late Dr. Robert Atkins, who died in a fall outside his New York offices in April of 2003. Records from the New York medical examiner reveal that Atkins was overweight, tipping the scales at nearly 260 pounds and may have had cardiovascular disease. A year before his death, Dr. Atkins suffered a cardiac arrest, although he and his private physician issued statements denying that the episode was a result of arterial blockage. [15]
Other groups
PCRM has partnered with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on many issues, including a campaign to reduce animal use in toxicity testing. [16] See also animal testing, section 3 on product (toxicity) testing.
Board of Directors
- Neal Barnard, President and founder. Associate Professor, George Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Barnard also initiated the The Cancer Project; a nonprofit focusing on prevention, public education and nutrition and the Washington Center for Clinical Research, for diet and health studies. He is editor-in-chief of the Nutrition Guide for Clinicians and the author of over a dozen books. His articles have appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the American Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Scientific American, the American Journal of Cardiology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Lancet Oncology, Preventive Medicine and many other scientific and medical journals. Dr. Barnard grew up on a cattle ranch in Fargo, ND. [17]
- President; Mark Sklar, M.D., Director
- Russell Bunai, M.D., Secretary Treasurer
Advisory Board
- T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. Cornell University & author of The China Study. This study culminated a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. A comprehensive survey of diseases and lifestyle factors in rural China and Taiwan; it is widely thought to be the most comprehensive study on nutrition and related disease to date. [18]
- Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. The Cleveland Clinic
- Suzanne Havala Hobbs, Dr.PH., M.S., R.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Henry J. Heimlich, M.D., Sc.D., The Heimlich Institute. Originator of the lifesaving Heimlich Maneuver. The technique has also been shown effective in saving drowning victims, asthma sufferers and cystic fibrosis patients. Dr. Heimlich also works to promote peaceful solutions to international problems through the A Caring World program. [19]
- Lawrence Kushi, Sc.D. Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente
- Virginia Messina, M.P.H., R.D. Nutrition Matters, Inc.
- John McDougall, M.D. McDougall Program, St. Helena Hospital
- Milton Mills, M.D. Gilead Medical Group
- Myriam Parham, R.D., L.D., C.D.E. East Pasco Medical Center
- William Roberts, M.D. Baylor Cardiovascular Institute
- Andrew Weil, M.D. University of Arizona
Contact
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
5100 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20016
Tel: 202-686-2210
Fax: 202-686-2216
email: pcrm AT pcrm.org
- web site: http://www.pcrm.org/
Articles & sources
Sourcewatch articles
- Neal Barnard
- War on Cancer
- Animal testing
- National Dairy Council
- Meat & Dairy industry
- War on Animals
- U.S. Government's War on Animals
- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
- Richard Berman cares about animals: clients exposed
References
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, "About PCRM", accessed December 2007
- ↑ PCRM Experts: Neal Barnard, M.D., News & Media Center, April 2007
- ↑ Neal D. Barnard, M.D. Weight-Loss Ads Are Big Dairy’s Latest Way to Trick Consumers, PCRM, AgWeek, August 2005
- ↑ Center for Consumer Freedom [http://www.consumerfreedom.com/downloads/reference/docs/200810_CCF_7Things_PCRM.pdf 7 things you didn t know about about PCRM]
- ↑ PCRM Support PCRM, accessed February 2009
- ↑ Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II The China Study, 2005, ISBN 1-932100-38-5
- ↑ Teresa T. Fung, ScD Dietary Patterns, Meat Intake and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women, Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 164 No. 20, November 2004
- ↑ Yiqing Song, MD A Prospective Study of Red Meat Consumption and Type 2 Diabetes in Middle-Aged and Elderly Women, American Diabetes Association, Inc., 27:2108-2115, 2004
- ↑ M.A. Sanjoaquin Nutrition, lifestyle and colorectal cancer incidence: a prospective investigation of 10,998 vegetarians and non-vegetarians in the United Kingdom British Journal of Cancer, pg 118–121, published on-line January 2004
- ↑ June M Chan Dairy products, calcium and prostate cancer risk in the Physicians' Health Study, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 74, No. 4, pg. 549-554, October 2001
- ↑ PCRM Experts: Neal Barnard, M.D., News & Media Center, April 2007
- ↑ PCRM Research Advocacy: We encourage higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research, About PCRM, accessed February 2009
- ↑ Kim Severson Dairy Council to End Ad Campaign That Linked Drinking Milk With Weight Loss, NY Times, May 2007
- ↑ Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine USDA, Dairy Industry End Dairy-Weight Loss Advertisements News & Media Center, June 2007
- ↑ Jeanne S. McVey Lawyers for Diet Giant Concede in Court that Diet May Be Dangerous; Attorneys Attempt to Quash Release of Potentially Damaging Documents, Studies on Atkins Diet Safety, PCRM, News & Media Center, March 2005
- ↑ Good Medicine Magazine PCRM 2003: The Year in Review, PCRM, Winter 2004
- ↑ PCRM Experts: Neal Barnard, M.D., News & Media Center, April 2007
- ↑ Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II The China Study, 2005, ISBN 1-932100-38-5
- ↑ Heimlich Institute Welcome to the Heimlich Institute, 2007
External articles
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Al Gore’s Deadly Animal Test Plan and the Scientist Who Can Stop It., PCRM Magazine, Spring 1999
