Irresponsible for talk shows to discuss fad diets?

Iamfit4life

I think so. Fad diets do not work generally. This is pretty well known. But when you run a talk show with "doctor" in the title even if you say fad diets rarely work, it lends some credibility to existing on yak pee and rabit droppings for months on end.

Football_N_Guns

Yak pee doesn't work? I've been drinking it for nothing.....

Acg67

depends on who you think they have responsibility to; their advertisers/shareholders of the parent company and therefore they should do whatever to increase ratings or to the public at large and then they should only promote healthy safe ways of dieting etc

UponThisRock

Yes. But the motivations of these doctors isn't to provide responsible, accurate information.

bry_all01

I don't agree with it anymore than I agree with a celebrity pushing it. But, as I have been told people will do anything to make a buck, which, by the way, repulses me to the core.

Savemyshannon

Yes but they are not here for us--they may say they are, but they are not. They are there to make money for their stations, which means catering to their advertisers.

I roll my eyes whenever I see "Dr." Oz on TV. That entire show is such a crock.

deeharley

It's been at least twenty years since I have seen anything I would call "responsible" on television.

FatassFairy

Yes but they are not here for us--they may say they are, but they are not. They are there to make money for their stations, which means catering to their advertisers.

I roll my eyes whenever I see "Dr." Oz on TV. That entire show is such a crock.

whether you like him or not, putting the dr in quotations is extremely disrespectful.

Jorra

I don't agree with it anymore than I agree with a celebrity pushing it. But, as I have been told people will do anything to make a buck, which, by the way, repulses me to the core.

Talk show doctors are nothing more than celebrities anyway. If they were actually caring doctors, they wouldn't put advertiser priorities above human beings and their health.

Iamfit4life

Yes but they are not here for us--they may say they are, but they are not. They are there to make money for their stations, which means catering to their advertisers.

I roll my eyes whenever I see "Dr." Oz on TV. That entire show is such a crock.

whether you like him or not, putting the dr in quotations is extremely disrespectful.

If you have no respect for somebody or their methods why feign resepct?

Savemyshannon

whether you like him or not, putting the dr in quotations is extremely disrespectful.

I'm not trying to knock his education--it takes a lot of years to earn the title and degree, and I respect that.

But I don't think the stuff he spouts is at all helpful to the people he is spouting it to and does more harm than good, which directly contradicts the Hippocratic Oath that doctors take upon graduation.

CaptainGordo

Depends on whether it's dangerous, or just ineffective.

hypotrochoid

What about the responsibility of the person watching it to make an educated, researched decision? That's what pisses me off. The sheople who blindly do the stuff because (insert whoever/whatever here) said it was a good idea. Show some independent thought. /rant

jacksonpt

Ideally, yes it is irresponsible.

But as we all know, people are going to believe what they want to believe. If someone wants to find a doctor/expert/celebrity endorsement of their desired "shortcut" solution to weight loss, they'll just keep looking until they find one.

Savemyshannon

From what I've seen, all he does is use scare tactics regarding health and fitness. Maybe I am missing something, I will admit that I have only caught snippets of it while at work (it is often on the TV on my unit). But it just seems reminiscent of those "boogeyman" news reports where they're trying to alert you to snakes in your toilets or black mold in your yogurt or, in Dr. Oz's case, arsenic in your apple juice or whathaveyou.

Contrarian

This link sums it up, nicely:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBfi8OEz0rA

StacyFrisbie

As an RN, I agree with many of the things Dr. Oz says. He has helped to write 2 books which are very good (haven't read the others), and break down many medical issues into understandable reasons to make yourself healthier. The only issue I have is that he pushes a lot of supplements I don't think everyone needs to take. Overall he's doing a service in educating people about what not to do, about increasing exercise, having a diet based on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy oils. Oprah made him famous, and to have a full time show about that, he has to have the punchlines audiences want to hear to reign in viewers. Overall if people get inspired to live healthier lives, great! He always tells people to ask their doctor before taking supplements or new medications, so I don't feel that's nearly as irresponsible as a quack doctor who wants to peddle the last failed weight loss drug which has no true scientific studies to back up their claims. Just my opinion :-)

StacyFrisbie

What about the responsibility of the person watching it to make an educated, researched decision? That's what pisses me off. The sheople who blindly do the stuff because (insert whoever/whatever here) said it was a good idea. Show some independent thought. /rant

I agree, it's irritated that people want to have the freedom of choice, but don't put in the time and effort to make and educated choice, and don't want to accept the consequences of those decisions. These are the people who think bad things always "just happen" to them.

Iamfit4life

What about the responsibility of the person watching it to make an educated, researched decision? That's what pisses me off. The sheople who blindly do the stuff because (insert whoever/whatever here) said it was a good idea. Show some independent thought. /rant

I do agree. It's disheartening.

bry_all01

I don't agree with it anymore than I agree with a celebrity pushing it. But, as I have been told people will do anything to make a buck, which, by the way, repulses me to the core.

Talk show doctors are nothing more than celebrities anyway. If they were actually caring doctors, they wouldn't put advertiser priorities above human beings and their health.

Agreed. They would promote the one and only surefire, healthy way to lose weight.... in a perfect world.

catwrangler

This link sums it up, nicely:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBfi8OEz0rA

OMG I want one! :bigsmile:

RyanEdwardParker

I totally believe that fad diets don't work. Infact, some of them are even dangerous. They leave the dieter malnourished and end up stressing the dieter out unnecessarily. The only real way to lose weight is to recognize that a lifestyle change is necessary if you want to lose weight and keep the weight down. There is no two ways about it.

Ryan Parker.
Zdiets.net - Lost 170lbs - Hypertension GONE! - High Cholesterol GONE! - Pre-Diabetes GONE!

CrawlingChaos

I do say it is irresponsible and immoral, though I wonder how much of their own nonsense they believe. I think if you are dispensing information like that its your moral obligation to do some research and not just pass on any insane candle-ear-burning, needle-poking, back-twisting, magic-herbal-curing, sugar-pill BS you come across.

but at the same time I really feel the viewers ought to do their own research on those kinds of things. The majority of people have a pretty big gap in their critical thinking department. But I don't know if it's all their fault. I think the way we are taught in schools (here is what to think, not here is how to think) is a big part of that.

CrawlingChaos

Err, sorry... my phone wanted that message to be posted twice.