RE: US to Outlaw Vitamins

Crosby_M (CrosbyM@po1.cpi.bls.gov)
Fri, 1 Nov 1996 18:42:14 -0500


On Thursday, October 31, 1996 11:14 PM, Lyle Burkhead wrote:
<There are still quite a few doctors who *believe* ... that it is
superstitious, immoral, WRONG to take vitamins. I want to know where that
belief comes from, and what if anything we can do about it. [snip] Why do
some people take it upon themselves to restrict our access to vitamins and
other health-promoting substances? It seems absurd, but there must be a
cause.>

I don't think there are many doctors who believe that "it is superstitious,
immoral, WRONG to take vitamins"; BUT, there are still a lot of doctors who
believe that health management is too complex for the average person to
handle without a doctor's guidance. Therefore, they are opposed to people
being able to take supplements and medication off the shelf.

What can we do about it? Well, the trend away from private practice toward
managed care is already doing a lot about it. Insurance companies are
unlikely to pay for a visit to the doctor if all you want is some vitamins
or other supplements.

Mark Crosby