Dr Dukan to face ethics hearing

Posted 29/03/2012

It has been reported that French diet guru, Pierre Dukan, is to face an ethics hearing in relation to comments made suggesting an ‘anti-obesity’ option should be introduced in the Baccalaureate exam, rewarding 17-year-old children who stay within the recommended weight guidelines.

Dr Dukan’s comments have sparked major controversy in France, with the French College of Physicians commenting that Dr Dukan has “breached medical guidelines that say doctors must consider the impact of their comments on the public”. In making these comments, Dr Dukan displayed no consideration of the negative effect this could have on young girls who are already suffering the effects of obesity or anorexia.

Should Dr Dukan be found guilty at the ethics hearing, the punishments he could face range from a reprimand to being struck off the medical register.

This is not the first time Dr Dukan has been in the spotlight. His controversial and yet best-selling diet books have fuelled numerous complaints in the past over his extreme dieting advice. The protein-rich, low carbohydrate diet has been described as dangerous with Dr Jean-Michael Cohen commenting that it could lead to heart disease and breast cancer.