Herman Tarnower (March 18, 1910 – March 10, 1980) was an American
cardiologist
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular ...
and co-author (with
Samm Sinclair Baker
Samm Sinclair Baker (born in Paterson, New Jersey, July 29, 1909 – March 5, 1997) was the author/co-author of many how-to and self-help books, most notably ''The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet'' which he co-authored with Dr. Herman Tarnower ...
) of the bestselling diet book ''The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet'' (1978), which promoted a
high-protein low-carbohydrate fad diet known as the
Scarsdale diet
The Scarsdale diet is a high-protein Low-carbohydrate diet, low-carbohydrate fad diet designed for weight loss created in the 1970s by Herman Tarnower, named for the town in New York where he practiced cardiology, described in the book ''The Compl ...
.
[Bijlefeld, Marjolijn; Sharon K. Zoumbaris. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of Diet Fads: Understanding Science and Society'', 2nd Edition. ABC-CLIO. p. 214. ] On March 10, 1980, just eight days before his 70th birthday, Tarnower was shot dead by
Jean Harris
Jean Struven Harris (April 27, 1923 – December 23, 2012) was the headmistress of The Madeira School for girls in McLean, Virginia, who made national news in the early 1980s when she was tried and convicted of the murder of her ex-lover, Her ...
. Harris was convicted of his murder at trial in
White Plains, New York
(Always Faithful)
, image_seal = WhitePlainsSeal.png
, seal_link =
, subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = U.S. state, State
, su ...
, in 1981.
Early and Professional life
Herman Tarnower was born in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York, to
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
immigrants Harry and Dora Tarnower.
He attended
Syracuse University, where he obtained his
M.D.
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...
in 1933. As a physician he specialized in
cardiology
Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular h ...
, establishing a practice in the
Scarsdale and
White Plains areas of New York.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Tarnower joined the
United States Army Medical Corps
The Medical Corps (MC) of the U.S. Army is a staff corps (non-combat specialty branch) of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) consisting of commissioned medical officers – physicians with either an M.D. or a D.O. degree, at least one ...
and was promoted to the rank of
major. After the war, he initiated the Scarsdale Medical Center and became regarded among his colleagues and patients. From 1975 until his death, Tarnower was clinical professor of medicine at the
New York Medical College
New York Medical College (NYMC or New York Med) is a private medical school in Valhalla, New York. Founded in 1860, it is a member of the Touro College and University System.
NYMC offers advanced degrees through its three schools: the Scho ...
.
The Scarsdale diet's idea of reducing
carbohydrate
In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or m ...
s, eating plenty of
oily fish
Oily fish are fish species with oil (fats) in soft tissues and in the coelomic cavity around the gut. Their fillets may contain up to 30% oil, although this figure varies both within and between species. Examples of oily fish include smal ...
and lean meat with fruit and vegetables and having a low intake of fats, salt and sweets was novel at the time, and Tarnower's book promoting it became an immediate bestseller when it was published in 1979. However, the diet was criticized by
Henry Buchwald
Henry Buchwald (born June 21, 1932) is an Austrian-American surgeon and academic. He is the Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering and the Owen and Sarah Davidson Wangensteen Chair in Experimental Surgery Emeritus at the University of M ...
and others for "serious nutritional deficiencies".
[Buchwald, Henry; Cowan, George S. M; Pories, Walter J. (2007). ''Surgical Management of Obesity''. ]Elsevier
Elsevier () is a Dutch academic publishing company specializing in scientific, technical, and medical content. Its products include journals such as '' The Lancet'', ''Cell'', the ScienceDirect collection of electronic journals, '' Trends'', ...
. p. 85. Negative effects of the diet include
constipation
Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. The stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the bowel movement ...
,
nausea
Nausea is a diffuse sensation of unease and discomfort, sometimes perceived as an urge to vomit. While not painful, it can be a debilitating symptom if prolonged and has been described as placing discomfort on the chest, abdomen, or back of the ...
, weakness and
bad breath
Bad breath, also known as halitosis, is a symptom in which a noticeably unpleasant breath odour is present. It can result in anxiety among those affected. It is also associated with depression and symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder.
Th ...
due to
ketosis.
In present times, the Scarsdale diet is often listed as an example of a
fad diet
A fad diet is a diet that becomes popular for a short time, similar to fads in fashion, without being a standard dietary recommendation, and often making unreasonable claims for fast weight loss or health improvements. There is no single defi ...
.
Death
Tarnower began a relationship with divorcee
Jean Harris
Jean Struven Harris (April 27, 1923 – December 23, 2012) was the headmistress of The Madeira School for girls in McLean, Virginia, who made national news in the early 1980s when she was tried and convicted of the murder of her ex-lover, Her ...
in 1966.
[Anthony Haden-Guest for New York Magazine. March 31, 198]
The Headmistress and the Diet Doctor
/ref> A lifelong bachelor, he continued to date other women during the course of their relationship. In 1979, he was having an affair with Lynne Tryforos, who worked as a secretary in his office. This caused tension between him and Harris, although Harris stated that the affair with Tryforos had been taking place for the preceding few years.
On March 10, 1980, Harris drove from the Madeira School
The Madeira School (simply referred to as Madeira School or Madeira) is an elite, private, day and boarding college-preparatory school for girls in McLean, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1906 by Lucy Madeira Wing.
History
Origi ...
in McLean, Virginia
McLean ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. McLean is home to many diplomats, military, members of Congress, and high-ranking government officials partially due to its proxi ...
, to Tarnower's home in Purchase, New York, with a .32 caliber .32 caliber is a size of ammunition, fitted to firearms with a bore diameter of .
.32 in caliber variations include:
* .32 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol), a pistol cartridge
* .32-40 Ballard, an American rifle cartridge
* .32 H&R Magnum, a rimmed ...
pistol in her possession. At trial, she stated she had planned to commit suicide after talking in person with Tarnower one last time. When she arrived at the house, however, she noticed Tryforos' lingerie in the bedroom. An argument ensued, and Tarnower allegedly said to her, "Jesus, Jean, you're crazy! Get out of here!" Harris shot Tarnower four times at close range, killing him. She was arrested and tried for second-degree murder, claiming at the three-month trial that the gun had discharged accidentally while Tarnower tried to wrestle it away from her. The jury did not believe her testimony and convicted her of murder in 1981. Judge Russell Leggett sentenced Harris to the minimum of 15-years-to-life in prison. However, she was granted clemency
A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...
by New York Governor
The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ha ...
Mario Cuomo
Mario Matthew Cuomo (, ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as ...
in 1992 and parole
Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...
d in 1993.[Joseph Bergerdec for the New York Times. December 28, 201]
Headmistress, Jilted Lover, Killer, Then a Force for Good in Jail
/ref>
Tarnower was interred on a sloping hill in the Larchmont Temple section of Mount Hope Cemetery in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
Hastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County located in the southwestern part of the town of Greenburgh in the state of New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of midtown Manh ...
. Harris visited his gravesite on several occasions.
In media
*In the movie '' Mrs. Harris'' (2005), Tarnower was portrayed by Ben Kingsley
Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received various accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Grammy Award, and tw ...
and Jean Harris by Annette Bening
Annette Carol Bening (born May 29, 1958) is an American actress. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over four decades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominati ...
.
*In the '' Seinfeld'' episode " The Summer of George", Kramer is mistakenly awarded a Tony
Tony may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer
* Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...
for ''Scarsdale Surprise'', a fictional musical about the murder of Herman Tarnower.
References
External links
Herman Tarnower
at Crime Library
Crime Library was a website documenting major crimes, criminals, trials, forensics, and criminal profiling from books. It was founded in 1998 and was most recently owned by truTV, a cable TV network that is part of Time Warner's Turner Broadcas ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarnower, Herman
1910 births
1980 deaths
20th-century American non-fiction writers
20th-century American physicians
United States Army personnel of World War II
American cardiologists
American health and wellness writers
Deaths by firearm in New York (state)
Jewish physicians
Low-carbohydrate diet advocates
Murdered American Jews
New York Medical College faculty
People from Purchase, New York
People from Scarsdale, New York
People murdered in New York (state)
Male murder victims
Physicians from New York City
Pseudoscientific diet advocates
Syracuse University alumni
United States Army officers
Writers from Brooklyn