Quackery

[John4216]

I am getting so tired of seeing friends and aquaintances getting sucked into some of the snake oil salesman that seem to be rampant again today. What is even more upsetting to me is that they are usually trying to improve their health/lifestyle and get stung and stop trying.

What triggered this writing today is that I watched a friend struggle with trying to eat better and after a long time she finally switched to a no meat diet. Then she was persuaded to try a few "products" that allegedly would help her "feel" better and be more healthy. To make the story short, she tried them, paid the money, felt "better" and then got quite ill after extended use of these products. Because of this experience she has reverted to her previous lifestyle and is very skeptical of anything now (though she has decided that no meat diet is something to try again).

So I wanted to post a copy of this article and the link to where it comes from for anyone else who this may help:

Article removed in its entirety due to possible copyright infringement.

Website Link:

How Quackery Sells
Twenty-Five Ways to Spot Quacks and Vitamin Pushers


I hope this helps some folks and is appropriate for this section.

[evilnumberlady]

I don't understand how this relates to vegetarianism.

[Percy's Mom]

Originally Posted by evilnumberlady

I don't understand how this relates to vegetarianism.

According to his post, John was prompted to post this information because of a friend who decided to become a vegetarian and purchased a product advertised to make her feel heathier with her new diet.

John - Unless you have permission from the authors of an article, in this case either Dr. Barrett or Dr. Jarvis, please do not post an article in it's entirety. I left the web addresses if anyone wants to read the article. If you want to paraphrase the main points of the article, that would be fine as well.

[PiggieMamaKelly]

People need to stop looking for the quick-fix answer to all their problems. If you are overweight, unhealthy and depressed there is no pill, powder or cream that is going to make you thin, healthy and happy. It takes effort: purposeful eating and moving. By creating so many things in our world that are convenient and easy, we are under the false assumption that everything can be convenient and easy.

Very good article.

[evilnumberlady]

Originally Posted by Percy's Mom

According to his post, John was prompted to post this information because of a friend who decided to become a vegetarian and purchased a product advertised to make her feel heathier with her new diet.

Well I have a friend who's a vegan and as a result he took up running. So if I want to post about marathons I should do it here?

I'm not really trying to be a smart alec here. I just am trying to point out that there really is no connection between this post and vegetarianism. This is a perfect reasonable (and highly informative) post for a general nutrition board or even a generic forum.

But on a vegetarian forum? I mean, I can't read the original poster's mind, but that really seems to imply that they have the opinion that vegetarians are less likely to be informed about health topics, or imply that they think vegetarian's are more easily taken by these ploys. I personally find that a bit offensive.

I'm very sick of people assuming I don't know about my health, an assumption that never happened before I became vegetarian. If I have to hear another lecture about the benefits of fish, protein and B12.. or if I have to hear someone go on about how "terrible" meat replacements like Boca Burgers are for me (they assume I eat these daily, which I don't) I think I might scream.

[John4216]

Originally Posted by evilnumberlady

I mean, I can't read the original poster's mind, but that really seems to imply that they have the opinion that vegetarians are less likely to be informed about health topics, or imply that they think vegetarian's are more easily taken by these ploys.

Your assumption is incorrect though I do not blame you for jumping to that conclusion if, as you say, people are making such assumptions about and to you. I personally feel that people who take up a vegatarian diet tend to be more informed rather than less though this is just my opinion.

[CF#5]

Stephen Barrett is an angry, bitter old man who thinks drugs and chemicals are the answer to all of life's problems. He's the real quack, promoting the profits of pharmaceutical companies and prioritizing his politics over YOUR health. He's a horrible person. If it's not FDA- and AMA-approved, there's no possible way it can work, because authority has the answers for everything, and he's the authority. He's going to a very hot place soon.

WESTERN MEDICINE IS NOT THE ANSWER. Western medicine doesn't HEAL people. It keeps them alive and suffering through drugs and surgery, and then continues to exploit their illnesses after keeping them alive by selling them more drugs. I'd rather have a CURE, but the corporations aren't interested in that because there's no money to be made there. THEY WANT YOU TO SUFFER. STEPHEN BARRETT WANTS YOU TO SUFFER. I don't have any answers because I'm not a doctor. I don't know what works and what doesn't, and I'm sure there are real quacks out there who pretend to know about holistic healing just so they can steal money from people. But the FDA, AMA, and Stephen Barrett aren't any better. DO NOT TRUST THEM.

[John4216]

Originally Posted by CF#5pig

Stephen Barrett is an angry, bitter old man who thinks drugs and chemicals are the answer to all of life's problems. He's the real quack, promoting the profits of pharmaceutical companies and prioritizing his politics over YOUR health. He's a horrible person. If it's not FDA- and AMA-approved, there's no possible way it can work, because authority has the answers for everything, and he's the authority. He's going to a very hot place soon.

WESTERN MEDICINE IS NOT THE ANSWER. Western medicine doesn't HEAL people. It keeps them alive and suffering through drugs and surgery, and then continues to exploit their illnesses after keeping them alive by selling them more drugs. I'd rather have a CURE, but the corporations aren't interested in that because there's no money to be made there. THEY WANT YOU TO SUFFER. STEPHEN BARRETT WANTS YOU TO SUFFER. I don't have any answers because I'm not a doctor. I don't know what works and what doesn't, and I'm sure there are real quacks out there who pretend to know about holistic healing just so they can steal money from people. But the FDA, AMA, and Stephen Barrett aren't any better. DO NOT TRUST THEM.

Gee Kevin Trudeau Jr you think you can PROVE anything you claim? You see the problem is that the FDA does not claim to be the be all end all...what they say is that if your going to make some claims then you have to PROVE IT. Q-Ray bracelets, Kevin Trudeau and others are just a small example of modern day snake oil salesman out there preying on innocent people. And you openly admit you do not know the answers, are not a doctor and yet you find yourself qualified to make such an absurd statement as above. And Quackwatch is not run by just one person and has been validated many times over. So if you have any proof then please respond.