The Scarlet O

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, he of the pathetic critique of "Sicko" that resulted in:

Moore said his staffers backed up the film's facts to Gupta before the report aired and that Gupta aired it knowing his facts were wrong.

has done it again.

This time he is all a'twitter because doctors are, in his words, "hesitant to put the scarlet O on a patient's chart."

What a curious usage. Does he consider obesity the equivalent of adultery? Does he think that if we aren't branded we won't know we're fat?* Is he afraid we are getting away with something?** Or that without that O on our med charts doctors are apt to think we are thin and not harangue us about our weight the next time we come in with chicken pox?

And I have to wonder. Has this man actually read "The Scarlet Letter"? Is he at all aware that it is about a woman who, despite the fact that she is less than perfect, is still a good woman and the hypocrisy of the society that has branded her? Does he know that his suggestion says more about the state of his soul than the state of our bodies?

* "Fat? Who me? Are you sure? And here I thought buying clothes in the women's section meant I was old enough to drink!"

** "I had no idea I was dating a fat woman! She wasn't wearing her O!"


Betty's comment: Does this O make me look fat?