Health Frauds and Quackery

This topic was presented by CSICOP Fellow, Dr. Stephen Barrett, M.D. on Saturday, May 4. PhACT members and guests were treated to an excellent show.

Dr. Barrett started the program by asking how many in the audience took vitamins. Roughly half did. He then asked the vitamin takers why they took vitamins. Answers ranged from it being a habit, to being a form of nutritional insurance. He pointed out that the "vitamin pushers" are frequently guilty of fraudulent claims that take money out of victim's pocketbooks without giving any benefits. Sometimes these claims are harmful to the victim's health such as when large doses of vitamins produce toxic effects. He then explained that most people should receive their necessary vitamins through a balanced diet, and that the vitamin industry is taking advantage of the current health craze to make a huge profit. He finished his remarks on vitamins by urging the audience to re-evaluate their use of them.

After discussing vitamins, Dr. Barrett then explored the world of Chiropractors. It seems that chiropractic is rife with quackery. Dr. Barrett related some of his "undercover" exposés of chiropractors. One example was when he sent one of his "patients" to various chiropractors for help with an ear disorder. In every case the diagnosis and subsequent treatment was wildly different, exposing the lack of standards and integrity in this field of medicine. He also noted that chiropractors had become licensed not by their merit, but by their political power. A highlight of the discussion on chiropractors was a video that showed one in action. On the tape a woman with an eye problem was treated by a chiropractor who spoke in scientific sounding mumbo-jumbo while performing fancy hand motions around her face. He also had the woman hold out her arm and then pushed it up and down, much like a water pump. This amusing action was supposed to be part of the diagnosis and healing process! In the end the chiropractor declared that the woman had an imbalance of fluids in her eyes or something to that effect! Dr. Barrett left the topic of chiropractors by acknowledging that there were a small core of legitimate practitioners, but they were essentially doing the work of a physical therapist.

Dr. Barrett concluded his presentation with a pot-pourri of health claims, the most interesting being homeopathy. He amused the audience by pointing out that after diluting the homeopathic drugs that patients take in order to cure the symptoms of a disease, there are no molecules left of these drugs! Where is the benefit?

Dr. Barrett also brought a special children's homeopathy kit which elicited numerous chuckles and prompted PhACT President Bob Glickman to try a tube full of the pills contained in the box. Bob said they tasted sugary, but seemed to give him no medical benefit.

After the program Dr. Barrett answered numerous questions, and sold a number of health quackery and related books to the grateful skeptics.

If you missed his presentation this time, keep checking the newsletter. We'll certainly ask him to speak again in the future.