Doctor ousted over anti-doughnut rant - More health news- msnbc.com la. doctor ousted after denouncing doughnuts
Lawsuit threatened after he posted ?America Dies on Dunkin? ? sign
PENSACOLA, Fla. - Dr. Jason Newsom railed against burgers, french fries, fried chicken and sweet tea in his campaign to promote better eating in a part of the country known as the Redneck Riviera. He might still be leading the charge if he had only left the doughnuts alone.
A 38-year-old former Army doctor who served in Iraq, Newsom returned home to Panama City a few years ago to run the Bay County Health Department and launched a one-man war on obesity by posting sardonic warnings on an electronic sign outside:
"Sweet Tea Liquid Sugar."
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"Hamburger Spare Tire."
"French Fries Thunder Thighs."
He also called out KFC by name to make people think twice about fried chicken.
Then he parodied "America Runs on Dunkin'," the doughnut chain's slogan, with: "America Dies on Dunkin'."
Some power players in the Gulf Coast tourist town decided they had had their fill.
A county commissioner who owns a doughnut shop and two lawyers who own a new Dunkin' Donuts on Panama City Beach turned against him, along with some of his own employees, Newsom says. After the lawyers threatened to sue, his bosses at the Florida Health Department made him remove the anti-fried dough rants and eventually forced him to resign, he says.
Replies
34
Beach Fanatic
He was so honest and accurate! To bad. Seems like he was just trying to educate his obese patients.
Beach Fanatic
Doc needs to get his head out of his donut hole
SoWal Expert
I hear he is a real @ss, but he is definitely right about his take on obesity and the health problems it presents to America, and if people actually knew how their food was made, they would maybe change their buying decisions. Making my own sweet tea stopped me from drinking sweet tea. Making fabulous desserts made me aware of how much butter and refined sugar goes into desserts, and now I try to avoid them. If I saw how a McDonald's burger or donut was made, I would never touch one again, I'm sure. Kudos to the Dr for trying to make a difference. Just sounds like he was too harsh to get along with gov't.
Beach Fanatic
Donuts today---------------------------Margaritas tomorrow-------will it ever end?
SoWal Expert
confession - I ate a crispy creme donut yesterday. It was my third donut this year. I really need to lay off. Way too much sugar and it drops me like a rock.
Beach Fanatic
Can you imagine this guy's frustration over the years with his patients. 60% obesity! He was extreme but probably trying to find a way to connect to his obese patients.
He probably should have gotten another job. Patients often times don't want to hear what is causing their problems. They want a quick fix and you to mind your own business. I applaud all those in the medical Field that at least try to find ways to wake patients up to the reality of what we put in our bodies will be be the out come of our health today.
He probably should have gotten another job. Patients often times don't want to hear what is causing their problems. They want a quick fix and you to mind your own business. I applaud all those in the medical Field that at least try to find ways to wake patients up to the reality of what we put in our bodies will be be the out come of our health today.
SoWal Expert
This is the same guy who got a lot of flack a while ago because he had the audacity to think that the Health Department should set a good example and he banned people bringing in treats.
Obesity is an EPIDEMIC and we are pouring BILLIONS of our tax dollars down rat holes just because people won't exercise or eat properly..............and anyone with the guts to speak up gets run out of town on a rail!
Obesity is an EPIDEMIC and we are pouring BILLIONS of our tax dollars down rat holes just because people won't exercise or eat properly..............and anyone with the guts to speak up gets run out of town on a rail!
Beach Comber
If only more doctors would take the time to tell patients what their real problems are, starting with diet and exercise. Often times it is easy to ignore what you are really putting in your body if unconfronted with the issue. This past year, my son was given sprite (or maybe it was 7up) on a school field trip with his lunch. When he informed the chaperone that he didn't drink soda because it was unhealthy, he was told that it was really okay because it said "all natural" on the can. Luckily, my 7 year old was smarter than the adult and found a water fountain to get by on until he got home.
Banned
He may be right but he's an ass. Live and let live and STFU.
Beach Fanatic
He may be right but he's an ass. Live and let live and STFU.
Do you know him? I am puzzled by your post. What is STFU?
SoWal Expert
If only more doctors would take the time to tell patients what their real problems are, starting with diet and exercise. Often times it is easy to ignore what you are really putting in your body if unconfronted with the issue. This past year, my son was given sprite (or maybe it was 7up) on a school field trip with his lunch. When he informed the chaperone that he didn't drink soda because it was unhealthy, he was told that it was really okay because it said "all natural" on the can. Luckily, my 7 year old was smarter than the adult and found a water fountain to get by on until he got home.
Doctors do - their sage advice falls on deaf ears! :angry:
Meow
More pc fallout. :roll: We have become a nation of wussy, please don't go there and hurt my delicate feelings, make me feel good drones.
How about this...if you smoke, are morbidly obese, do drugs, drink excessively, etc., you PAY more for insurance!
How about this...if you smoke, are morbidly obese, do drugs, drink excessively, etc., you PAY more for insurance!
Banned
Do you know him? I am puzzled by your post. What is STFU?
Don't know him personally but I've read about him before and in my opinion his tactics sound fanatical. I think he should stick a sock in it. Just my opinion. You may beg to differ.
Edited
Beach Fanatic
I 
DR NEWSOM!!!
Gidget
Btw, he didn't quit - he was fired.
Newsom: ?I was fired'
Former county health department director gives first sit-down interview since his departure
By WILL HOBSON / News Herald Writer
LYNN HAVEN ? Dr. Jason Newsom cleared his throat and looked at the stack of papers spilling out of a manila envelope on the kitchen table in front of him. He had talked for an hour about obesity in America, and had a mini-library of graphs, charts and journal articles to explain his hard-line stance on eating habits.
Then he delved into the reason he requested the interview: to discuss his resignation as director of the Bay County Health Department on May 8.
"Let's get this straight: I was fired. This talk about resignation, that was all politeness," Newsom said. "If your boss ever puts two pieces of paper in front of you, and one is a resignation letter, and one is a termination letter, and you've got two minutes to decide, you were fired."
The circumstances surrounding Newsom's exit are difficult to pin down, because none of his former superiors would comment. Deputy Secretary for Health Jean Kline, who Newsom said gave him the ultimatum via a conference call, has turned down several interview requests, as has Michael Sentman, her No. 2 who drove to Panama City from Tallahassee for the call.
Newsom, however, agreed to talk in late June after nearly two months of silence. If the timeline he gives of his final days is accurate, it brings into question his bosses' methodology in forcing him out.
?French Fries = Thunder Thighs'
Newsom, 38, is now a senior physician at the Northwest Florida Reception Center, a correctional facility in Chipley. The offer to resign was a courtesy, Newsom said, since it looks better to prospective employers than "fired."
It didn't soften the blow, though. Newsom thought this job would be his last. He said he often told co-workers, when talking about his goals, "Don't worry; we've got 30 years to make this happen."
In Newsom's two-plus years on the job, he banned doughnuts and other pastries at meetings, and removed regular sodas and junk food from vending machines, which he restocked with diet sodas and healthier fare, while waging a public relations battle against Gatorade, fried foods and basically anything with sugar. Some employees bristled at these changes and sent e-mails to county commissioners, Department of Health (DOH) officials, even Florida's surgeon general, asking for his removal.
"I had the support of the silent majority," Newsom said. "I had a small handful of people ... that were not going to toe the line."
The public first got a taste of Newsom's philosophies when he posted controversial messages on the electronic sign in front of the Health Department's 11th Street office. ("French Fries = Thunder Thighs" was an example).
Newsom didn't worry about embarrassing overweight people. He quickly pointed to bleak statistics about public health in America.
"Sixty-six percent of Americans are overweight or obese. There's no way you can go out and talk about obesity without the majority of people feeling uncomfortable, because you're talking about them," he said.
Bo Rivard and Michael Duncan, two local attorneys who also are co-owners of the new Dunkin' Donuts in Panama City Beach, met with Newsom on May 6 about messages criticizing Dunkin' Donuts - "America Dies on Dunkin," "Dunkin Diabetes" - that Newsom had run for a few weeks, along with similar signs attacking Kentucky Fried Chicken. Newsom posted the messages in response to ad campaigns by both companies that depicted their products as part of a wholesome family meal.
William Harrison, Rivard's partner, sat in on the meeting. Newsom refused to take down the anti-Dunkin' signs, but acknowledged that his bosses probably would make him take the signs down if they were called.
Harrison called Kline, while Rivard called Commissioner Mike Thomas. Both lawyers threatened to sue. Thomas drafted a letter to Newsom calling for his resignation, while Kline apparently took a more direct approach. She never called him before that final call, Newsom said, and never gave him a chance to explain himself.
Newsom's last evaluation, signed by Kline on March 20, rated him as 4 out of 5 overall, or "exceeds expectations." Newsom said the first hint anyone in Tallahassee had a problem with his tactics came when he was fired.
"I understood that I had to keep the Tallahassee people happy, and ... the county commission. What no one told me was I worked at the will of William Harrison," Newsom said. "That was a surprise."
Harrison said Monday all he wanted was for the messages to be taken down. He never asked for Newsom to be axed.
"That's absurd," he said of the idea that he was responsible for Newsom's departure. "I don't know Jean Kline, or the surgeon general. ... Whatever else is going on between him and his employer, I don't know about that. And I don't want to know."
DR NEWSOM!!!Gidget
Btw, he didn't quit - he was fired.
Newsom: ?I was fired'
Former county health department director gives first sit-down interview since his departure
By WILL HOBSON / News Herald Writer
LYNN HAVEN ? Dr. Jason Newsom cleared his throat and looked at the stack of papers spilling out of a manila envelope on the kitchen table in front of him. He had talked for an hour about obesity in America, and had a mini-library of graphs, charts and journal articles to explain his hard-line stance on eating habits.
Then he delved into the reason he requested the interview: to discuss his resignation as director of the Bay County Health Department on May 8.
"Let's get this straight: I was fired. This talk about resignation, that was all politeness," Newsom said. "If your boss ever puts two pieces of paper in front of you, and one is a resignation letter, and one is a termination letter, and you've got two minutes to decide, you were fired."
The circumstances surrounding Newsom's exit are difficult to pin down, because none of his former superiors would comment. Deputy Secretary for Health Jean Kline, who Newsom said gave him the ultimatum via a conference call, has turned down several interview requests, as has Michael Sentman, her No. 2 who drove to Panama City from Tallahassee for the call.
Newsom, however, agreed to talk in late June after nearly two months of silence. If the timeline he gives of his final days is accurate, it brings into question his bosses' methodology in forcing him out.
?French Fries = Thunder Thighs'
Newsom, 38, is now a senior physician at the Northwest Florida Reception Center, a correctional facility in Chipley. The offer to resign was a courtesy, Newsom said, since it looks better to prospective employers than "fired."
It didn't soften the blow, though. Newsom thought this job would be his last. He said he often told co-workers, when talking about his goals, "Don't worry; we've got 30 years to make this happen."
In Newsom's two-plus years on the job, he banned doughnuts and other pastries at meetings, and removed regular sodas and junk food from vending machines, which he restocked with diet sodas and healthier fare, while waging a public relations battle against Gatorade, fried foods and basically anything with sugar. Some employees bristled at these changes and sent e-mails to county commissioners, Department of Health (DOH) officials, even Florida's surgeon general, asking for his removal.
"I had the support of the silent majority," Newsom said. "I had a small handful of people ... that were not going to toe the line."
The public first got a taste of Newsom's philosophies when he posted controversial messages on the electronic sign in front of the Health Department's 11th Street office. ("French Fries = Thunder Thighs" was an example).
Newsom didn't worry about embarrassing overweight people. He quickly pointed to bleak statistics about public health in America.
"Sixty-six percent of Americans are overweight or obese. There's no way you can go out and talk about obesity without the majority of people feeling uncomfortable, because you're talking about them," he said.
Bo Rivard and Michael Duncan, two local attorneys who also are co-owners of the new Dunkin' Donuts in Panama City Beach, met with Newsom on May 6 about messages criticizing Dunkin' Donuts - "America Dies on Dunkin," "Dunkin Diabetes" - that Newsom had run for a few weeks, along with similar signs attacking Kentucky Fried Chicken. Newsom posted the messages in response to ad campaigns by both companies that depicted their products as part of a wholesome family meal.
William Harrison, Rivard's partner, sat in on the meeting. Newsom refused to take down the anti-Dunkin' signs, but acknowledged that his bosses probably would make him take the signs down if they were called.
Harrison called Kline, while Rivard called Commissioner Mike Thomas. Both lawyers threatened to sue. Thomas drafted a letter to Newsom calling for his resignation, while Kline apparently took a more direct approach. She never called him before that final call, Newsom said, and never gave him a chance to explain himself.
Newsom's last evaluation, signed by Kline on March 20, rated him as 4 out of 5 overall, or "exceeds expectations." Newsom said the first hint anyone in Tallahassee had a problem with his tactics came when he was fired.
"I understood that I had to keep the Tallahassee people happy, and ... the county commission. What no one told me was I worked at the will of William Harrison," Newsom said. "That was a surprise."
Harrison said Monday all he wanted was for the messages to be taken down. He never asked for Newsom to be axed.
"That's absurd," he said of the idea that he was responsible for Newsom's departure. "I don't know Jean Kline, or the surgeon general. ... Whatever else is going on between him and his employer, I don't know about that. And I don't want to know."
Beach Fanatic
More pc fallout. :roll: We have become a nation of wussy, please don't go there and hurt my delicate feelings, make me feel good drones.
How about this...if you smoke, are morbidly obese, do drugs, drink excessively, etc., you PAY more for insurance!
but those people die sooner....maybe they should pay more when they are alive, and then their heirs get a rebate or something....
SoWal InsiderAuthor
mmmmm
Edited
SoWal Expert
Don't know him personally but I've read about him before and in my opinion his tactics sound fanatical. I think he should stick a sock in it. Just my opinion. You may beg to differ.
What's the difference between him and other employers who make their potential and current employees pass drug tests? He isn't telling employees what they can eat at home. "Fanatical?" not in my opinion. Maybe just concerned about the number one threat to Americans -- obesity and the diseases it causes.
I wonder how people would react if the person in charge of the Health Dept was giving away free hotdogs, lollipops, and fruit roll ups, which might kill you faster than marijuana .
He may be right but he's an ass. Live and let live and STFU.Since you are voicing your opinion, I find your above statement rather hypocritical. Also, Dr Newsom was trying to do just that -- let people live. The foods which he was ranting about were foods that contribute to the death of many Americans.
Beach Fanatic
When I was working in a high paced medical office many moons ago, I could not believe the problems people were having based on lifestyle. I also remember one Dr. getting in trouble for making a homeopathic suggestion to a patient. Maybe, times have not changed much...
Dr. Fray may have been "fanatical" in his approach but I bet he was also passionate in his beliefs.
Sometimes people can not handle the truth and get offended when the issue of losing weight comes up. Why is it ok for over weight people to come up to my wife and tell her she needs to put on a few pounds but people get offended when she responds by telling them they need to take a few off.
She struggles with the issue just like they do.
Dr. Fray may have been "fanatical" in his approach but I bet he was also passionate in his beliefs.
Sometimes people can not handle the truth and get offended when the issue of losing weight comes up. Why is it ok for over weight people to come up to my wife and tell her she needs to put on a few pounds but people get offended when she responds by telling them they need to take a few off.
She struggles with the issue just like they do.
Edited
SoWal Expert
The donuts are all politicks for Bay County, since one of the County Commissioners is the proud owner of the new Sunkin Donuts by the new Publix. Add a couple of lawyer donut shop owners and you suddenly have some firing power for "outrageous" comments. What happened to free speech? Someone just learning about this would think that Dr Newsom added calories and ingredients to the junk food labels.
Here is an idea to change our habits -- we add graphic images to labels showing feet being removed and arteries getting clogged, and scars from open heart surgery on these junk food drive-thru windows.
Here is an idea to change our habits -- we add graphic images to labels showing feet being removed and arteries getting clogged, and scars from open heart surgery on these junk food drive-thru windows.
Beach Lover
Please also show the devastating effects of alcohol on individuals, families, and society. Nobody wants to see those photos posted above bars, wine lists, and in the aisles of our grocery and liquor stores. And you don't have to be a confirmed alcoholic to appreciate what that would be like.
Edited
SoWal Expert
Alcohol is already restricted by age, strength, where and when it can be sold, who can sell it, has legal consequences for overselling it and overconsuming it, and has warning labels on it.
Beach Lover
But, would it change our habits?
Banned
What's the difference between him and other employers who make their potential and current employees pass drug tests? He isn't telling employees what they can eat at home. "Fanatical?" not in my opinion. Maybe just concerned about the number one threat to Americans -- obesity and the diseases it causes.
I wonder how people would react if the person in charge of the Health Dept was giving away free hotdogs, lollipops, and fruit roll ups, which might kill you faster than marijuana .
Since you are voicing your opinion, I find your above statement rather hypocritical. Also, Dr Newsom was trying to do just that -- let people live. The foods which he was ranting about were foods that contribute to the death of many Americans.
The only other thing I have to say about this issue is that I think we'll always be in sharp disagreement on this.
Edited
SoWal Expert
Before we lose complete sight of the issue, the DOCTOR who ran the HEALTH DEPARTMENT, was fired because people who sell JUNK FOOD didn't approve of his methods to improve people's HEALTH (and in a humorous way too).
Most of the churches in the area have signs that use a combo of fear and humor to promote their agenda, why can't the local health department?
Most of the churches in the area have signs that use a combo of fear and humor to promote their agenda, why can't the local health department?
Edited
Beach Fanatic
Before we lose complete sight of the issue, the DOCTOR who ran the HEALTH DEPARTMENT, was fired because people who sell JUNK FOOD didn't approve of his methods to improve people's HEALTH (and in a humorous way too).
Most of the churches in the area have signs that use a combo of fear and humor to promote their agenda, why can't the local health department?
The reparations of both Church and State?
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