Dr Libby Weaver is recalling a second book that uses the derogatory term ‘mongolism’.
On Monday the wellness guru made a public apology and recalled 20,000 copies of What Am I Supposed to Eat because she used the term ‘mongolism’ when describing people with Down syndrome.
It has since been discovered that she used the same term in her 2013 book Beauty From the Inside Out, but there were no complaints at the time.
“In the last 24 hours my team and I have conducted a full review of all my books and discovered the word was also used in Beauty from the Inside Out and a process is underway for recall and reprint,” Dr Weaver said.
Dr Libby is under fire over using a derogatory term in two of her books.
The popular holistic nutrition specialist made a public apology on Monday after a Kiwi mother complained over her use of the outdated word ‘mongolism’ to describe children with Down syndrome.
“I used a word to describe Down syndrome that I thought was a current medically used word,” she said in a statement on Monday.
“It has since been brought to my attention it is a word that is used in a derogatory way and I am mortified to have caused anyone any distress through this error, particularly children with Down Syndrome and their families.”
“Please accept my deepest apology, I am so very sorry for any hurt this has caused anyone,” Dr Weaver said.
In New Zealand, between 50 and 80 babies with Down syndrome are born each year.
New Zealand Down Syndrome Association executive officer Zandra Vaccarino said in a statement to Stuff, “The NZDSA does acknowledge the apology Dr Libby Weaver has issued, the recall of her books and her offer of refund, however, language has power and in this situation it has the power to hurt, devalue, discriminate against and cause distress to people with Down syndrome, their family, their whānau and the wider community.”
