Dr. Mehmet Oz
Sigh. Not again.
I just saw a Slate article that talked about Dr. Oz shilling “miracle diet supplements”. The piece talked about how far the heart surgeon and medical icon has come from his original roots. I had to write about it.
There’s one specific supplement, Garcinia cambogia, which Dr. Oz claimed would help people finally deal effectively with fat loss. Yet a recent peer review of 12 previous studies featuring over 700 participants in total determined that the supplement was no better than a placebo.
Dr. Oz Has More Authority
What really irks me about Dr. Oz is that he has accolades up the wazoo. He has been widely published in journals, has done amazing things in the medical community, and frequently dons a white coat and talks about his lab. He doesn’t just give an air of authority, he truly is an authority, so Dr. Oz shilling a worthless supplement is going to pack a lot more punch than, say, Geraldo Rivera.
This is exactly what happened last winter. Oz was talking about the benefits of neti pots and sales increased by 12,000% prompting the term “The Oz Effect.” Of course, his TV benefactor is Oprah, and the “Oprah Effect” has long been known, but she pushes plush slippers and properly fitting bras. If you jump at one of her recommendations, you’ll be more comfy and you won’t be putting your life at risk.
By pushing supplements without the proper research behind it, Dr. Oz is effectively implementing a nationwide experiment on everyone who tries them. Does anyone remember Phen/Fen? That didn’t work out so well. At best people who listen to Oz’s advice could have expensive pee, at worst, it could literally harm them.
And as a doctor who agreed to follow the Hippocratic Oath of “first, do no harm,” Dr. Oz has no bloody right doing that. He DOES have a higher bar and he DOES need to respect and meet it.
Dr. Oz Pushes a Lot of Supplements
This isn’t the only example of Dr. Oz pushing supplements.
- Green coffee beans as a fat buster following the release of a flawed study with just 16 participants.
- Zinc as a diet supplement, which seems to come from a study conducted on mice.
- Raspberry ketones as a fat burner.
You get the idea. Whatever happened to healthy food choices and exercise?
So is Dr. Oz getting paid for this? He claims no, but this seems unlikely to me. Why would you risk your reputation to push something after just one small or questionable study unless there was some money behind it somewhere?
The Blogging Creed
As a blogger, it is drilled into our heads to always be forthcoming with affiliate links or other areas where we’re getting paid. Actually it’s the law, and bloggers can find themselves in pretty big trouble if caught doing something improperly.
If Dr. Oz is trying to skirt this basic disclosure law then he should be called out on it, and frankly he should get in trouble with the FTC like everyone else. It is not okay to do this.
Now … we don’t know if Dr. Oz is doing anything illegal at this point, although I would like to see an investigation to make sure that he’s not. But he wouldn’t be the first person.
Dr. Drew was recently caught by the government accepting money from GlaxoSmithKline for pushing Wellbutrin on his TV shows. Dr. Drew received over $275,000 from GSK and never once mentioned it when he was speaking about the drug. Yep, that’s a big no-no.
So what do YOU think? Do you trust Dr. Oz as much as you used to? Do you think someone should be checking on his bank account? Does he truly believe in what he’s suggesting people take or does his accountant? Do you think the bar for him is higher than most on-air personalities?
And thanks to Slate for bringing this out in the open. You were quite right, it WAS about time.
I’d love to start a big discussion here …
Cheers,
Lisa
Twitter
Glad you wrote this, Lisa. I’m not a big watcher of Dr. Oz’s show but I did happen to tune in when he did a demo on the green coffee beans. I ran right out to my health-food store and picked up a bottle and the salesperson told me he can’t keep stocked with them. A few weeks later, I went back (for something else) and they actually had a display of the green coffee beans that Dr. Oz recommends. Not sure if that’s marketing on the store’s part or if Dr. Oz is actually recommending that brand but it would be nice to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
I watched his show daily for about a month, my conclusion was there was some really good info but if I took all the supplements that he promoted I’d be broke and swallowing pills every 10 minutes of the day! I think if his show came on less often he’d have better quality material, at this point a daily show just needs quantity!!
But ultimately it’s on us to do the research, this past year there was a blogger paid and supported by GNC that pushed a fat burner workout enhancer without mentioning the massive amounts of caffeine in the products. I took all three of the line and thought I was going to have to visit the emergency clinic I was so sick. Dang her, but dang me too, why didn’t I question and research??
Thanks for commenting Eunice and Malita … between the blog here and the emails & FB responses I’m getting this topic is definitely touching a nerve. Dr. Oz came on as a responsible alternative for medical information and now it appears he’s shilling with the best of him. Let’s just line him up next to Jillian Michaels and her supplements. L–
Well said. I think Dr. Oz has hel
I used to be Dr. Oz’s biggest fan, but I don’t believe in him the way I once did. I think to create content for his show he has lost some credibility. I once saw him pushing raspberry ketones pretty hard for weight control and it made me sad. What happened to his core message of eating well, staying active and taking care of yourself?
Yes, Brittany, that does seem to be gone or at least pushed to the side. I keep coming back to the Hippocratic Oath … how is he following it now? L–
Thank you for confirming what I have been wondering about. I
enjoyed watching him in the beginning but as I watched him
recommend one thing after another, I became skeptical. You have
confirmed my doubts. It’s too bad. He has such an impressive
background that he is tarnishing with his commercialism. No more
Oz for me.
I have only watched Dr Oz in segments I’ve yet to watch an entire show. What I do hear from him and what I’ve read he does sound like a trustworthy physician. I do not hesitate when someone says “Oh Dr Oz says…” I do however research what the good Dr has said and make my own conclusions. I have found over time that many of the “Dr Oz says” products, tips suggestions are not new to me and many but new to the masses. For example the Himalayan Salt Inhaler which I’ve used for a very long time for asthma and allergies all of a sudden everybody wants this inhaler. It’s not new. Lisa mentioned several items as well. My mom and grandma (RIP LaLa) are/were heavy herbal learners and users. They often bought me along to conferences, workshops, nature path walks, training and the like to learn all about herbs. Mother and grandma had cabinets with all kinds of slaves, balms, tinctures for everything. It’s funny I’m in my mid 30′s now I’ve become just like them, lol. As a teenager (1990′s) I recall being at a workshop where the instructor basically said to us that “garcinia-chi” was a garbage herb in the body very dangerous and should not be used by those who are unskilled and even if they are skilled all types are precautions need to be met before using it. It’s not worth the risk. This was known back then. Just like ephedra or Ma Huang (it’s Chinese name) super precautions have to be taken when using it. All types of interactions with prescriptions medications, know and unknown illnesses it can lead to death if not taken properly. The gov’t pulled it for many years. I’m surprised that Dr Oz would take such risk with his name. These products may work, they may have every little of the herb in them and basically are lab dirt. I guess facing the almighty dollar even in it’s weaken state still makes fools out of many. This is sad. The Dr Oz that was on Oprah’s show isn’t the same guy IMO. You can’t peddle this stuff people can, will, and do get seriously and even fatally injured from misuse of herbal products. This is not good at all. It’s not just Dr Oz doing it it’s many physicians who know that even some prescriptions cause harm yet they write them up like nothing. The whole thing is sad. Dr Oz reaches millions and that is a heavy responsibility.
Yes, in the beginning I watched Dr. Oz and very happy he brought alternative choices to the public. He was personable, good looking, and very seemed interested in helping people make educated choices about their health. Now, I am sooooooo disappointed in his sell out to the big Pharma . For him to tell the public that cancer can be caused by antioxidents is a crime. Let’s remember Linus Pauly and his years of study with documented evidence about vitamin C and curing cancer.
I will NEVER watch him again , nor believe anything he says. Money talks!
Loved Dr Oz when he was on Oprah and was worried when he got his own show since I used to like Dr Phil also but that’s another story. I don’t watch much daytime anymore but the few I saw at the beginning seemed to be pretty good but in the last couple years he’s obviously “sold out” and become more about the money than helping people. My dad watches him and is constantly buying new supplements and saying how great this guy is. I even got sucked in by a facebook ad toting the raspberry ketones thing, nothing like a desperate fat person to make money from, and got scammed big time both in money and the fact the stuff doesn’t do a thing! Sorry Oz I no longer respect you and hearing you’re latest remarks on organic food choices just solidifies my feelings. Sad…is all I have left to say.
Well said Sharon … he is praying on desperate people looking for the silver bullet. That pretty much sums up the entire diet industry … but the fact that a respect heart surgeon has sold out so badly *is* sad. He was supposed to be one of the good guys. L–
I have thought this for a long time. Most of the products he pushes are just fads that waste people’s money. I think he should be investigated before his endorsements cause harm.
I was always suspicious of Dr. Oz. I’ve always laughed at Oprah’s recommendations. Garcinia Cambogia taken regularly will cause Liver Toxicity. Dr. Oz failed to mention this. Garcinia Cambogia is an ingredient in Hydroxycut, which cause liver failure in people a few years back.
Dr. Oz is not just a sell out, he is a huckster. I’ve heard him recommend eating Subway sandwiches as a healthy meal. Subway sandwich is far from healthy. Subway adds Azodicarbonamide to their bread as a dough conditioner. This chemical is also used in styrofoam cups, shoe soles, gaskets, floor mats, etc. The chemical is illegal in some countries. It is known to cause diabetes, cancer, thyroid problems, asthma, and the list goes on and on.
“a chemical ingredient called azodicarbonamide, which is banned as a food additive in the U.K., Europe, and Australia, and if you get caught using it in Singapore you can get up to 15 years in prison and can be fined $450,000. Azodicarbonamide is more commonly used in the production of foamed plastics, however, it is allowed in the United States as a food additive, a flour bleaching agent, and a dough conditioner that improves elasticity of bread.”
Dr. Oz fails the credibility test in my book.
Wow Mark that is scary info … thankful I never eat at Subway … L–
Three words that a low carber hates to hear;
“Dr. Oz says…”
Oh wow Mark great info Subway, I won’t be eating there anymore
i came across your article because i purposely googled a question regarding how many diet supplements does dr oz promote. he went from raspberry, to coffee beans now to a new one. right when i am about to be hooked in his promotion, he changes his mind to a new fat burner. glad to see i am not the only one who is questioning his validity and his motives.
Thanks Barb, it is depressing isn’t it? Taking a guy with a stellar reputation and watching him bend to chasing dollars. And at the expense of people he supposedly wants to help.
Dr. Oz supports Monsanto! This should be one of the litmus tests as to whom to avoid. Anything or anyone supporting Monsanto or GMO’s should be avoided. Look into Monsanto thoroughly and this should answer most of your questions regarding anything related to your food and to your overall health. Monsanto is trying to dominate the entire world’s food supply. Please look into the harm and devastation this is causing, you will wish that you stayed in the dark about it, but it is necessary to know and understand if you want you and your family to live a healthy life. Wars, shootings, crimes, terrorism, etc… are nothing compared to the devastation caused by Monsanto. It will blow your mind away when you grasp what is really going on when it comes to your food. We always look at what is overt and miss the hidden largest killers causing far more devastation in the world.
I was shocked recently when an MD who is a little older than me (I’m 65) told a group he was speaking to that his class at medical school mostly chose to take the Hippocratic Oath but they had to request it. That was several decades ago. Apparently it has been optional for many years. So it is entirely possible that Oz did not take it.
Wow really? You’d think that would be part of graduation or something? L–