Interesting Information:  June 25, 2014

Dr. Oz Promotes Weight-Loss Scams

 

I’ll bet I got 20 to 30 emails or questions about Pure Green Coffee, raspberry ketone, and Garcinia Cambogia over the past few years.  Many from people who should either know better or were just sharing.

I kept responding that there was no science behind these claims.

None.

Zero.

And I repeated that I didn’t care what Dr. Oz was saying because he had clearly sold out in some fundamental way.

I’d like to follow the money with regard to Oz’s (let’s remove the title “Doctor” from his name please as he’s an entertainer) claims about these fake weight-loss product, and I’ll bet someone will discover  that Oz is personally benefitting from these fake products.  Why else would he behave in this shabby way?

I’ll go further and tell you that I think and have said to many that Oz is a megalomanic who is only interested in himself.  I watched the program one day as Dr. Kaayla Daniel was a guest speaker meant to discuss soy issues.  Oz allowed her one or two sentences TOTAL and ended that segment by passing out soy plants to the audience.  I thought then that he had sold out in some way to the soy industry.  Dr. Daniel is a recognized authority on humans eating soy and published an impeccably researched book on all the ins and outs of soy and the soy industry.

Dr. Joseph Mercola’s post today discusses this Oz issue.  Here’s part of what he wrote, and I hope you go to the url below and read the rest as false advertising is ILLEGAL.

 

Senate Hearing Puts Dr. Oz in the Hot Seat

The hearing featured testimony from Dr. Mehmet Oz, who ended up getting grilled over his role in promoting what amounts to fantasy.2 According to Senator Claire McCaskill’s website:

“Last month the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it is suing the Florida-based company, Pure Green Coffee, alleging that it capitalized on the green coffee bean diet fad by using bogus weight-loss claims and fake news websites to market its dietary supplement.

The FTC claimed that weeks after green coffee was promoted on the Dr. Oz Show, Pure Green Coffee began selling their Pure Green Coffee extract, charging $50 for a one-month supply.”

Senator McCaskill read off a number of statements Dr. Oz has made on his show, such as:

“You may think magic is make-believe, but this little bean has scientists saying they’ve found the magic weight loss cure for every body type: It’s green coffee extract.”

“I’ve got the number-one miracle in a bottle, to burn your fat: It’s raspberry ketone.” “Garcinia cambogia: It may be the simple solution you’ve been looking for to bust your body fat for good.”

“I don’t know why you need to say this stuff,” McCaskill said, “because you know it’s not true.” Indeed, Dr. Oz is quite knowledgeable and we agree on many things. Unfortunately, I think he may have fallen into the ratings game when it comes to pushing “magic” weight loss pills.

I personally disagree with his stance on hyping up weight loss supplements. I’m particularly against the idea that a pill would be able to take the place of eating right and exercising, and this is something Dr. Oz is likely encouraged to promote due to successful ratings.

In a November 2012 show, he stated: “Thanks to brand new scientific research, I can tell you about a revolutionary fat buster. It’s called Garcinia cambogia.” Meanwhile, the words “No exercise. No Diet. No Effort” were emblazoned on the screen behind him. Most recently, Dr. Oz featured a product he referred to as “my Rapid Belly Melt.”3 Part of the show involved audience members photographing their stomachs. The photos were then photoshopped into a slimmer version. This, supposedly, was the result you could glean from this “insta belly melt” product.

It’s quite clear to me that these kinds of products, and especially these kinds of fantasy-based promotions, devalue the supplement industry as a whole. This is tragic, considering the fact that nutritional supplements serve a critical function by helping to correct specific nutritional imbalances or deficiencies.

Weight Loss Supplements: Are They Worth the Potential Risks?.

 

Here, too, is John Oliver in a 14-minute clip completely destroying what Oz has done–if you want to see for yourself the claims Oz was making.

Watch John Oliver Verbally Pants Dr. Oz Over Dietary Supplements.

 

Meanwhile, note that the only way to weight loss and good health is eating clean, nutrient-dense foods that are, hopefully, locally sourced so you are eating them in season and at the height of their powers.

There are no magic bullets to undo that which we have done.