You know you have a bad doctor when he prescribes diet pills instead of urging healthy eating and exercise

A few months ago, I went to the doctor for my annual physical. Toward the end of the exam, he asked me if I had any questions or issues. I replied as most patients do in our great obese country: "Well, I do need to lose a little weight." I'm about 25 pounds overweight. I eat badly, don't exercise sit at a desk all day - you know, the things that make you fat. I'm also the type of person who will do things if told, especially by people who have a medical degree.

So I was waiting for the doctor to tell me to get with the program, sweat a little, no pain no gain. A swift kick in the derrière to motivate me to lose the weight. "Well," the doctor said with a shrug of his shoulders, "I can put you on some diet pills." Huh? Ok, full disclosure: I have high blood pressure and from time to time have had some arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat). It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that diet pills contain stimulants, which can (a) raise your blood pressure and (b) aggravate any arrhythmias.

I thought there was a punchline waiting, a smile with a "Just kidding" attached. When he said nothing, I was almost speechless. I felt like a kid on an after school special who had just been offered a joint or a drink of beer at an after-hours party. I decided to probe a little deeper, treading lightly at first. "Um, I have high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat," I reminded him. "Aren't diet pills, you know, um, bad for that?" "Aw," he smiled. "Don't worry. Your body will get used to them." No mention of diet. No "Hey, lay off the Twinkies." No exercise plan. A quick prescription was all that was needed to help me shed that extra weight. Heck, maybe I could even still eat the Twinkies. Maybe my heart racing due to the diet pills would equal a quick 30-minute run. "So, would you like it?" he asked, ripping the prescription off his pad and handing it to me. There it was. All I had to do was reach for it. "No thanks," I said politely. "I'll try the old-fashioned way first." I'm searching for a new doctor.