Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

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Founders Neal D. Barnard
Founded 1985
Headquarters Washington, D.C.
Staff Neal D. Barnard, Mark Sklar, Russell Bunai
Focus Preventive medicine
Employees 40
Members 100,000
Website pcrm.org

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. which promotes preventive medicine, conducts research, and encourages higher standards of ethics and effectiveness in research. It was founded in 1985 by physician Neal D. Barnard.[1]

PCRM is against animal testing and advocates a vegan diet.

Contents

[edit] Membership

The organization's advisory board includes T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., of Cornell University, Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., of The Cleveland Clinic, Henry J. Heimlich, M.D., and John A. McDougall, M.D among others.[1] PCRM has a paid staff of 40,[2] and claim a membership of approximately 5,000 physicians and 100,000 lay members. [3]

In late 2009, Elizabeth Kucinich became director of public affairs for PCRM.[4]

[edit] Policies

[edit] Nutrition

The PCRM advocates a vegan diet, which it argues helps combat a multitude of physical ailments, such as diabetes and high blood pressure among many others. PCRM goes further and claims that certain vegan products, which are "naturally low in saturated fat, high in fiber, and replete with cancer-protective phytochemicals," can help to prevent cancer. [5]

PCRM runs a website that collects reports of adverse health effects experienced by people on the Atkins diet..[6] PCRM also argues that consuming dairy products is unhealthful and advocates for improving the food served in school lunchrooms.[7] In addition, PCRM runs The Cancer Project, a program for cancer prevention, research, and nutritional assistance to cancer patients.[8]

The organization's nutrition director, Amy Lanou, Ph.D., has criticized the U.S. Department of Agriculture for promoting high-fat, high-calorie product, such as some cookies and fast-food products [9] linked to child obesity.[10] Lanou also sent a letter to the minor league baseball team the West Michigan Whitecaps to complain about a 4-pound, 4,800-calorie hamburger on the team's concession stand menu and to request that the team put a label on the burger indicating that it was a "dietary disaster".[11]

PCRM's founder, Neal Barnard, is a psychiatrist by training, however he has published dozens of peer-reviewed scientific papers on nutritional topics in such journals as The American Journal of Cardiology and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.[12]

The American Council on Science and Health is critical of PCRM's nutritional policies, saying that the group emphasize and exaggerate the reliability of certain research, to further an animal rights agenda.[13]

[edit] Other lifestye changes

Analysis and research by PCRM has suggested that exercise and other lifestyle changes other than, or in combination with, dietary changes, can improve health. Non-dietary lifestyle changes recommended include aerobic exercise, weight-bearing exercise, and exposure to sufficient sunlight for vitamin D production.[14][15][16][17]

[edit] Animal testing

Its research department promotes alternatives to the use of animals in education and research. The organization's official position paper on animal experimentation argues that the scientific and medical communities must move decisively to replace animals: "The exploration and implementation of non-animal methods should be a priority for investigators and research institutions and should take advantage of a wide variety of viewpoints to ensure progress toward scientific, human health, and animal protection goals."[18]

In 2007, the American Medical Association debated a resolution to specifically "condemn [the] ongoing activities of the PCRM that impede humane and responsible animal research." The resolution was not accepted, instead the AMA chose to reaffirm its support for "continued efforts to defend and promote the use of animals in meaningful research, product safety testing, and teaching programs." [19][20]

[edit] Relationship with PETA

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has donated more than $1.3m to PCRM.[21] PETA is based in Norfolk, Va., and PCRM in Washington, D.C. There is a third organization called Foundation to Support Animal Protection housed out of the same address as PETA. This organization's board consists in part of PCRM founder and president Neal Barnard and PETA president Ingrid Newkirk.[22] The IRS form 990s filed for FSAP confirm that from 1999 through 2000 PCRM was a supported organization. Since 2000, FSAP has declined to itemize its supported organizations.[23]

The ties between PCRM, PETA, and FSAP have been criticized by the American Council on Science and Health[24] and The American Physiological Society.[22]

[edit] Criticism

Jerry Vlasak, a former spokesman for the PCRM, caused controversy in 2004 when he said, "I don't think you'd have to kill too many researchers. I think for five lives, 10 lives, 15 human lives, we could save a million, 2 million, 10 million non-human lives." PCRM subsequently distanced themselves from Vlasak, who acknowledged he was working independently of the group.[25]

The Observer reports that, in 2001, PCRM president Neil Barnard joined Kevin Jonas, a former leader of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), to co-sign hundreds of letters sent to the bosses of companies involved with Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), a contract animal-testing company, asking them to sever their relationships with HLS.[26] Jonas was later jailed under the Animal Enterprise Protection Act for running the SHAC USA campaign's website, which aims to close HLS down.[27]

The PCRM has been criticized by the website, Activistcash[28], because "Less than 5% of their members are physicians",[29] which can lead to misinformation about food.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "About PCRM". Retrieved August 11, 2006.
  2. ^ Report on PCRM by give.org. Retrieved August 12 2006.
  3. ^ PCRM entry on GuideStar.org. Retrieved August 11 2006.
  4. ^ http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2009/10/rs-kucinich29.html
  5. ^ Vegetarian Foods: Powerful for Health. Retrieved August 11, 2006.
  6. ^ "Atkins Diet Alert / Neal Barnard, M.D., president / a PCRM site". Atkinsdietalert.org. http://www.atkinsdietalert.org/. Retrieved 2009-09-16. 
  7. ^ "Healthy School Lunches / a Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) site". Healthyschoollunches.org. http://www.healthyschoollunches.org/. Retrieved 2009-09-16. 
  8. ^ "The Cancer Project / A Nutrition and Cancer Nonprofit Organization / Dietary Guidelines, Recipes, Resources, and Classes". Cancerproject.org. http://www.cancerproject.org/. Retrieved 2009-09-16. 
  9. ^ "Cookie Monsters Oreo promotion puts USDA on wrong side of obesity fight", July 11, 2004. Retrieved August 2006.
  10. ^ Fast Food Linked To Child Obesity, Associated Press, January 5 2003
  11. ^ Doctors Have Beef With Burger ESPN, March 31, 2009
  12. ^ "Neal D. Barnard, M.D./ a Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) site". Nealbarnard.org. http://www.nealbarnard.org/pubs.htm. Retrieved 2009-09-16. 
  13. ^ Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine: Not So Responsible. Retrieved September 12, 2006.
  14. ^ The Good, the Bad, and Jenny Craig PCRM Weighs Diet Programs
  15. ^ Permanent Weight Control
  16. ^ Calcium and Strong Bones
  17. ^ Calcium in Plant-Based Diets
  18. ^ "PCRM Position Paper on Animal Research", adopted June 4, 2004
  19. ^ [1]"American Medical Association House of Delegates Resolution 526, 2007
  20. ^ H-460.985 Support for Use of Animals in Teaching, Product Safety Testing and Research, American Medical Association.
  21. ^ "Focus: animal activists | UK news | The Observer". Observer.guardian.co.uk. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/focus/story/0,6903,1273697,00.html. Retrieved 2009-09-16. 
  22. ^ a b http://www.the-aps.org/pa/action/charity/charitymarks.htm
  23. ^ "GuideStar nonprofit reports and Forms 990 for donors, grantmakers and businesses". Guidestar.org. 2009-07-22. http://www.guidestar.org/. Retrieved 2009-09-16. 
  24. ^ "Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine: Not So Responsible > Facts & Fears >". ACSH. 2002-02-14. http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsID.227/news_detail.asp. Retrieved 2009-09-16. 
  25. ^ Doward, Jamie & Townsend, Mark. "Beauty and the beasts", The Observer, August 1, 2004.
  26. ^ "Kill scientists, says animal rights chief | Society | The Observer". Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/animalrights/story/0,11917,1268819,00.html. Retrieved 2009-09-16. 
  27. ^ [2]
  28. ^ A visit to the ActivistCash.com web site
  29. ^ "Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine". Activistcash.com. http://activistcash.com/organization_overview.cfm?oid=23. Retrieved 2009-09-16. 

[edit] External links

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