Current Trends in Quackery Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Oct 21, 2014
Current Trends in Quackery
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Today’s Objectives
• Understanding of quackery’s dangers
• Awareness of threats towards science-based health care
• Improved ability to make personal health decisions
• Increased awareness of reliable information sources
Definition of Quackery
• Promotion of unsubstantiated methods that lack a scientifically plausible rationale
• Prevalence depends on what one includes
How Quackery Harms(Quackery is never harmless!)
• Economic • Direct physical harm• Indirect harm (failure to get appropriate treatment)
• Psychological• Harm to society
Cancer Quackery Victim
Vulnerability to Quackery
• Lack of suspicion• Belief in magic• Overconfidence• Alienated• Desperate
Misconceptions about Quackery
• Quackery is easy to spot.• Personal experience is the best way to tell whether
something works.• Most victims of quackery are easy to fool.• Quackery's victims deserve what they get.• All quacks are frauds and crooks.• Government protects us. • Quackery's success represents medicine's failure. • "Alternative" methods have moved toward the
scientific mainstream.
Classification of “Alternative”Methods
• Genuine: Comparable methods that have met science-based criteria for safety and effectiveness
“CAM” Systems
• Acupuncture• Chiropractic• Herbal medicine• Homeopathy• Iridology• Naturopathy
Acupuncture
• Fanciful theory• No effect on the course of disease• Few practical uses• Most practitioners are poorly trained• Associated with improper diagnoses and
inappropriate herbal treatment• Stay away from certified acupuncturists
Biomeridian Device
Test plateTest probe
Electrode
Biomeridian Device
Chiropractic’s Basic Theory
Vertebral Subluxations are displacements of the spinal bones (vertebrae) that can cause endangering stress to your spinal cord and nervous system.
These subluxations are often due to poor sleeping habits, poor posture, strenuous exercise, injuries, auto accidents, sports, slips or falls, and the birthing process itself.
Chiropractic adjustments are very helpful in correcting these subluxations and restoring optimal health.
Normal nerve
Normal nerve
Pinchednerve
Subluxation
Chiropractic Nerve Chart• Spinal misalignments may
result in the conditions shown below:
• 2C — sinus troubles, allergies, crossed eyes, deafness, eye troubles, earache, fainting spells, certain cases of blindness
• 2L — appendicitis, cramps, acidosis, varicose veins
• 10T — kidney troubles, hardening of the arteries, chronic tiredness, nephritis, pyelitis
Chiropractic Newspaper Ad
Applied Kinesiology
Chiropractic Problems
• Excessive treatment• “Preventative maintenance”• Opposition to immunization• Stroke from neck manipulation• Too many x-rays• Unlimited scope• Inappropriate nutrition advice
Danger of Neck Manipulation
Homeopathy
• Law of similars: “Like cures like.”
• Effectiveness determined by “provings,” most of which were done 100 to 200 years ago.
• The greater the dilution, the more powerful the effect.
• Dilution may be below Avogadro’s number (1.063 x 1023).
Oscillococcinum
Homeopathy Ultradilution
• 200C = 1 part in 100200
• 200C = At least one molecule of the original substance dissolved in a minimum of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules of water.
• This would require a container more than 30,000,000,000 times the size of the Earth.
Reflexology
Tooth Chart #1
Acupuncture points allegedly related to dentition
Source: Academy of General Dentistry Web site
The Herbal Minefield
• Misinformation abounds• Few have been adequately studied• Most products don’t work• Those that work may not be practical to use• Quality control is unreliable• Side effects and interactions can be a problem• Most practitioners are not adequately trained
Iridology Camera
Iridology Chart
Cancer: Scare Tactics
Cancer: Old Ad
Cancer Testimonials Not Reliable
• The patient never had cancer.
Lorraine Day, M.D.
Diagnoses
• Candidiasis hypersensitivity• Enzyme deficiency (generalized)
• Mercury illness• Multiple chemical sensitivity
• Parasites
MCS Victim
Chelation Therapy
Hal Huggins Ad
“of Sequential Removal.
Therapeutic Touch
Emily Rosa’s Experiment
Multilevel Marketing (MLM)
• Most products have little or no appropriate use
• Those that do are overpriced• Vast majority of distributors make no
significant income• Professionals who can sell to a “captive
audience” can profit, but the process is unethical
Kevin Trudeau
• Enjoined by FTC• Banned from selling products other than publications
• Published best-seller
• Convicted felon
Kevin Trudeau says:• “There are natural cures for every disease.”• Our government and drug companies are conspiring to keep information from the public.
• “Drugs do not cure any disease.”• “Everyone is full of toxins and nutrient deficient.”
• “If you have no toxins nor deficiencies or electromagnetic chaos or stress, you cannot have any disease.”
• “Vaccines are loaded with poisons. Those who get vaccines are more likely to get sick than those who do not.”
• Have all amalgam fillings removed.
Weight Control Methods:FTC’s 7 “Red Flags”
• Cause weight loss of 2 pounds or more a week for a month or more without dieting or exercise
• Cause substantial weight loss no matter what or how much the consumer eats• Cause permanent weight loss (even when the consumer stops using product)• Block the absorption of fat or calories to enable consumers to lose substantial weight• Safely enable consumers to lose more than 3 pounds per week for more than 4
weeks• Cause substantial weight loss for all users• Cause substantial weight loss by wearing it on the body or rubbing it into the skin• A cancer was cured or put into remission by proven therapy, but questionable
therapy was also used and erroneously credited for the beneficial result • The cancer is progressing but is erroneously represented as slowed or cured. • The patient has died as a result of the cancer (or is lost to follow-up) but is
represented as cured. • The patient had a spontaneous remission (very rare) or slow-growing cancer that is
publicized as a cure.
Hair Analysis
Hair Analysis
Live Cell Analysis
AANC Professional Membership
Rational Use of Supplements
• Inadequate diet • Infants and toddlers • Strict vegetarians• Folic acid? • Calcium?• Iron?
• B12 over age 50
Florsheim MagneForceShoes
• Physicists estimate that because the earth has lost some of its electromagnetic field over the past 4,000 years, it is possible that some of us suffer from a magnetic deficiency.
Ionic Foot BathsFalsely claimed to ”release toxins”
“Customized” Vitamins
Lack of Yardsticks
• News Media• Accreditation• Medical schools and hospitals• Journals• Government agencies
Reliable Information Sources
• Consumer Reports on Health• FDA Consumer Magazine• Merck Manual• Quackwatch / Dental Watch• National Council Against Health Fraud
• Internet Health Pilot
Quackwatch Web Site
How You Can Help
• Keep informed: Consumer Health Digest• Complain about wrongdoing• Donate money• Write an article for Quackwatch• Advise people to visit Quackwatch and its
affiliated sites