Dr. Jason Newsom Fired For Dumping On Dunkin Donuts

Bay County, Florida Health Department Head Launched One-Man War On Obesity

Look out: This One Pisses Me Off.

If language like that is too strong for you, don't read this post. Stay clear – I'm ready to rant.

And if this is the most open, the deepest I've expressed, the most truthful to my own feelings, so be it… because I think THIS is ridiculous.

The Associate Press ran this story and as soon as I read it in my local paper, I ripped it out and vowed to blog about it.

38-year Old Former Army Doctor Fired For Standing Up For His Beliefs

As reported, Dr. Jason Newsom made his feelings known about burgers, french fries, fried chicken, and sweet tea in his campaign to reduce the belt size of the people in the part of the country known at Redneck Riviera.

And his campaign was working… until he messed with the donuts.

The Iraq War veteran returned home to Panama City a few years ago and posted warnings on an electronic sign outside his office about some of the foods he liked the least:

• Sweet Tea = Liquid Sugar
• Hamburger = Spare Tire
• French Fries = Thunder Thighs

He also singled out KFC by name to make people think twice before eating fried chicken.

But what seems to have gotten him in trouble was his play on the "American Runs on Dunkin" slogan when he wrote: "American Dies On Dunkin."

Powerful People in Gulf Town Had Had Enough

One local donut shop owner was furious. Two local lawyers who own a new Dunkin Donuts on Panama City Beach turned against him and threatened to sue, forcing the Florida Health Department to remove the anti-fried-dough slogan and then eventually forced him to resign.

The doctor stated that he singled out doughnuts because they are everywhere in America. He'd travel and see two dozen doughnuts in boxes at meetings. He's see doughnuts for the kids in Sunday School. "It was a social expectation thing," said the 6-foot, 167-pound, lean doctor whose county had 39 percent of the adults in the overweight category and 25 percent were considered obese.

His Primary Job Was Education

Dr. Newsom was hired by the state Health Department to direct the county agency with his primary responsibility to educate the public about health issues, which most people felt involved swine flu, AIDS, and associated illnesses. But the doctor took on obesity as well and attacked jelly-filled and sugar-sprinkled lumps of fried dough.

He went as far as banning doughnuts from department meetings and announcing he would throw away the fat-filled delicacies if he found them around the break room. He also banned candy bars in the vending machines, putting in peanuts instead.

How Much Better Would Our Country's Health Be If We Watched What We Ate?

Were his tactics tough? Were his statements brash? Did he create short phrases designed to make you think before stuffing your body full of things that could hurt you?

Of course.

But let me ask this:

1. Would my mother have diabetes right now if she lost the 50 pounds that weigh her down and keep her confined to an "electric chair" where her greatest exercise is pushing a joystick to propel her to the dining room at her retirement community?
2. Would we have such a huge, vitriolic debate about health care if we each stopped to think before stuffing ourselves with sugared and friend foods?
3. Would our children be healthier without all the fattening, sugared drinks that arrive in bottles and cans that overflow our landfills?

How can a citizenry sit by and allow a good person to be fired when he's doing the job he was hired to do simply because he pissed off some wealthy business owners?

Why Do We Spend SO Much For Cure But So Little For Prevention

It's well-known to marketers that selling PREVENTION is nearly impossible… but selling CURE is easy.

• Why do people spend so much for triple-bypass surgery and wonder how they got to that point after disregarding good-eating-practices for 40 years?
• Why is my 86-year old Mom in the hospital several times a year for back pain, diabetes-related problems, and blood problems when she's too stubborn to reduce her weight to a healthier level?
• Why is our country killing itself with food while so much of the rest of the world starves?

Isn't It Time To Stand Up And Say 'I'm Mad As Hell And I'm Not Going To Take This Any Longer'?

A few years ago, our local school board was faced with a dilemma: accept a large contribution from a soda pop company in exchange for putting in their machines in the Middle School cafeteria.

Every school district in the nation needs money, and I'm all for businesses creating partnerships.

And at first I was confused by the Board's lack of desire to pursue this one, but their reasoning became clear: the health of the kids who stay OFF sugared drinks was much more important that the dollars the "deal" would have brought in.

The Board turned down the lucrative offer, and kept the drinks out of the school in favor of water, low-sugar fruit juices, and milk.

The Board members took a stand, and it's time the rest of us did too.

I'm an admitted Dunkin Donuts fan!

Is there a conflict in my being a fan of Dunkin Donuts?

Absolutely not.

In moderation what they offer is fine. Their coffee is good. Their cookies delicious. And their donuts and pastries really hit the spot.

But not to the level that many people eat them. And if I were the county health officer, I'd attack obesity with direct force.

MANY of our health problems come from eating WAY too much. I struggle with eating too much too.

But it's a MATH problem

Too much IN that doesn't get worked OFF equals too much that HANGS AROUND… for a LONG time: killing us prematurely, causing diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart problems – and costing us billions of dollars.

Don't Fire People Like Dr. Newsom – PRAISE Them!

It's ridiculous – hire this guy to do his job and then get the hell out of the way.

Don't let some selfish people with power force him from his message: saving lives is way more important than their personal goals.

Should he tone down the attacks on a brand name? What would you think if that were a tobacco company?

• It's legal to smoke, but it still kills people (with first and second-hand smoke).
• It's legal to eat yourself so fat you can't fit into the seat of an airplane and then you are allowed to sue the airline for not providing you a comfortable seat.
• It's legal to over eat so much that you suffer a heart attack, get rushed to the hospital, and take up precious resources that when someone else comes to the emergency room, you are taking up the space that they need.

Isn't it time we took control?

Tell me what YOU think about this whole topic… your comment will appear below when you leave me a comment.

Phewww… glad I got that off my chest!

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr

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