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 #1Acupuncture 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