The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research, and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research. Founded in 1985 by nutrition researcher and author Neal Barnard, M.D., PCRM promotes a low-fat vegetarian diet, opposes unethical human experiments, and promotes alternatives to animal research.

PCRM's membership includes physicians, scientists, and laypersons. The organization's advisory board includes such prominent figures as T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., of Cornell University, Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., of The Cleveland Clinic, Henry J. Heimlich, M.D., and John McDougall, M.D.

PCRM may be best known for its opposition to low-carb diets. The organization runs a website that collects reports of adverse health effects experienced by people on these popular weight-loss plans. PCRM also argues that consuming dairy products is unhealthful and advocates for improving the food served in school lunchrooms. In addition, PCRM runs The Cancer Project, a program for cancer prevention, research, and nutritional assistance to cancer patients.

PCRM's Research Department promotes alternatives to the use of animals in education and research. The organization's official position paper on animal experimentation argues that the scientific and medical communities must move decisively to replace animals: "The exploration and implementation of nonanimal methods should be a priority for investigators and research institutions and should take advantage of a wide variety of viewpoints to ensure progress toward scientific, human health, and animal protection goals."

The organization's nutrition director, Amy Lanou, Ph.D., has frequently criticized the U.S. Department of Agriculture for allegedly promoting unhealthful foods, including cookies and cheese.

PCRM has been criticized by the American Medical Association for misrepresenting facts about animal research and for advocating vegetarianism. However, in a statement issued on February 10 of 2004, the AMA retracted its critical comments about PCRM's dietary recommendations. The AMA published one of Dr. Barnard's research articles in the Archives of Family Medicine in 1995 and has used various PCRM physicians as quotable experts in American Medical News.

PCRM's founder, Dr. Neal Barnard, is a psychiatrist by training, not a nutritionist. However, Dr. Barnard has published dozens of peer-reviewed scientific papers on nutritional topics in such leading journals as The American Journal of Cardiology and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

PCRM has been accused of being a front group for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PCRM does partner with PETA on some issues of common interest, including a campaign to reduce animal use in toxicity testing. However, PCRM and PETA are entirely separate and independent organizations. PETA is based in Norfolk, Va., and PCRM is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

References

• Lanou, Amy (July 11, 2004). Oreo promotion puts USDA on wrong side of obesity fight http://www.pcrm.org/news/commentary0407.html .
• PCRM Board of Directors (2004). PCRM Position Paper on Animal Research http://www.pcrm.org/resch/anexp/position.html .

External links

• Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine http://www.pcrm.org/
• Neal D. Barnard, M.D. http://www.nealbarnard.org/
• The Cancer Project http://www.thecancerproject.org/
• Dissection Alternatives http://www.dissectionalternatives.org/
• Atkins Diet Alert http://www.atkinsdietalert.org/
• Healthy School Lunches http://www.healthyschoollunches.org/
• Strong Bones http://www.strongbones.org/