Dear Dr. Oz, you suck
Acg67
Posts: 12,142 Member
Letter to Dr. Oz Show Producers by Bruce Chassy, PhD
http://academicsreview.org/2012/10/letter-to-dr-oz-show-producers-by-bruce-chassy-phd/
http://academicsreview.org/2012/10/letter-to-dr-oz-show-producers-by-bruce-chassy-phd/
Dear Greg and Brook:
I am following up on my conversations and previous correspondence with you regarding the plans by the Dr. Oz Show to air health and safety claims by Jeffrey Smith about agricultural biotechnology (GMOs) and food issues. As discussed, I was unable to participate in your program due to a family conflict. After consulting with other colleagues who were similarly approached by you and those who did participate, however, I am compelled to again voice my concerns regarding the potential violation by Dr. Oz of medical ethics and high risk of misrepresentation of human health information by Dr. Oz, Zoco Productions and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Studios on this issue.
As a public sector scientist, researcher and academic administrator with more than 40 years experience, I am appalled that any medical professional would give a platform to the likes of Mr. Jeffrey Smith to impart health information to the public. Mr. Smith has no accredited or formal education in any health, nutrition, or other related science fields. Research into Mr. Smith’s credentials reveals that his only professional experience prior to taking up his crusade against biotechnology is as a ballroom dance teacher, yogic flying instructor and political candidate for the Maharishi cult’s natural law party. The fact that Mr. Smith was even allowed to appear on stage on a nationally broadcast television health-oriented program is hard to believe; hearing from my colleagues who did participate that Dr. Oz referred to Smith as a “scientist” during the program taping is an egregious misrepresentation.
Simply put, Mr. Smith’s health, environmental and safety claims about biotechnology have no basis whatsoever in medicine or science. Thousands of published and peer reviewed studies conducted over the past thirty-plus years contradict his claims and bizarre hypotheses associating health dangers linked to foods derived using biotechnology production methods. This is corroborated by such respected scientific and medical authorities as the American Medical Association, World Health Organization with the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Institute for Food Technologists and the American Dietetic Association. Regulatory bodies including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSCJ) all confirm this safety.
Further, our correspondence and conversations, as well as those you had with other academic colleagues who were invited to participate, suggests you engaged in questionable and misleading tactics to secure our participation on your show. When we raised concerns about past treatment of academic participants discussing biotechnology on the Dr. Oz show, you stated “I understand the suspicion and the reservations any scientist would have after the last go-round. My best assurance can only come from the fact that producing a show in that vein isn’t something I agree with at all. That producer is no longer with us. I’m not into producing surprises or blindsiding anybody…” Yet, neither you nor Ms. Jacobsen disclosed that Lisa Oz, the show’s co-producer and wife of Dr. Oz, was the narrator for Mr. Smith’s video attacking biotechnology and an active campaigner for the Proposition 37 efforts in California.
As to you assurances that there would be no surprises or “bait-and-switch” tactics involved, I was informed that “deals were cut” between Dr. Oz and other participants like Organic Valley CEO Gary Hirshberg to prevent the scientists from fully participating in the program. These back-room deals caused changes to the described format for the interviews as laid out by you in advance of the program. Yet, apparently Mr. Hirshberg objected to appearing side-by-side with actual scientists as he made his claims but was allowed to remain on stage while they made their rebuttals. Further, Dr. Oz allowed Mr. Smith to re-tape his segment after the scientists spoke in response to his segment’s initial taping and after they had left the program.
You assured me and the other invited participants that the show was interested in a fair hearing of views from all sides with no pre-judged conclusions. Yet, I also learned that Dr. Oz practiced a pre-scripted conclusion to the program warning viewers to avoid the risks of GMOs by purchasing only organic foods prior to interviewing the scientists and hearing both sides. Similarly, during the taping of the Dr. Oz Show you incorporated graphics provided by Jeffrey Smith implying correlated health risks with the use of biotechnology crops that are simply not based in any medical science or study. These graphics are crude and inaccurate representation which will mislead people to believe biotechnology crops are associated with these diseases – the very same representation could be done showing, for example, that as viewership for the Dr. Oz show rose so did incidents of these diseases, suggesting watching your show is a health risk. Neither is of course true. Biotechnology crops are as safe, if not safer, than their conventional and organic counterparts.
All of this would lead any reasonable person to believe your representations were disingenuous and that this show was orchestrated theater on behalf of Mr. Smith and the Proposition 37 campaign. Since Mr. Smith and his collaborator, Dr. Oz show co-producer Lisa Oz, are active proponents behind the Proposition 37 California Ballot Initiative, the program you intend to air on the Fox network prior to the November 6, 2012 election appears by all manners to be an orchestrated and essentially in-kind donation of a free campaign commercial for this initiative. Worse, Dr. Oz will be amplifying thoroughly debunked and potentially dangerous nutrition and health-related advice to his viewing audience.
Your assurances and the tactics of the Dr. Oz show fall short of even the lowest standards of media and medical ethics.
Sincerely,
Bruce Chassy, PhD
Professor Emeritus, Department of Food Science & Nutrition
University of Illinois
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Replies
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Very interesting letter that highlights a lot of the things that are apparent when you hear what comes out of the show.0
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:flowerforyou:0
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Follow the yellow brick road....0
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Whoever is paying his bills is who Dr. Oz supports. I just wish more people would understand that.0
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As a proponent of results and peer reviewed science, and a California resident, Prop 37 drives me nuts. My wife, a Phd in Genetics, has been ranting against these nut laws over GMO's for years, yet it seems as a Liberal Progressive, I am ostracized by most of my colleagues for holding such horrible, although empirically based, beliefs. Conclusion: we as American have a long way to go when it comes to real Science education on both sides of the isle.0
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:drinker:0
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Bump. Glad to bump this.0
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Medical doctors are not necessarily scientists.
My issue with Dr. Oz is that he is also a snake oil salesman at the end of every show. There's always an ad push for something like Goji berry juice where, "a study has shown" or "studies have shown" some healthful effect it has related to his previous discussion. No study citations and no FDA approvals-- just, "Hey, buy this".
But, I'm sure people buy the products because he is endorsing them.
As an aside, there was also a peer-reviewed study recently out in France about the effect GMO corn. Specifically, how ingestion of GMO corn increased tumors developing in rodents. The only problem was that there was an awful amount of data manipulation, no standard statistical analysis and one of the authors was an homeopathic doctor. It was immediately accepted by French media, and only after a large outcry from the scientific community in general-- support is slowly starting to be pulled back from it.0 -
Medical doctors are not necessarily scientists.
My issue with Dr. Oz is that he is also a snake oil salesman at the end of every show. There's always an ad push for something like Goji berry juice where, "a study has shown" or "studies have shown" some healthful effect it has related to his previous discussion. No study citations and no FDA approvals-- just, "Hey, buy this".
But, I'm sure people buy the products because he is endorsing them.
As an aside, there was also a peer-reviewed study recently out in France about the effect GMO corn. Specifically, how ingestion of GMO corn increased tumors developing in rodents. The only problem was that there was an awful amount of data manipulation, no standard statistical analysis and one of the authors was an homeopathic doctor. It was immediately accepted by French media, and only after a large outcry from the scientific community in general-- support is slowly starting to be pulled back from it.
Yeah, that study's methodology was flawed in so many ways. Interesting enough, in Feb of 2012 in a smaller journal(one of the "baby science" journals) there was a study concerning GMO corn and the nutritional effects vs non GMO corn in animals and it showed little to no effects. No one reported on that one of course....0 -
As a proponent of results and peer reviewed science, and a California resident, Prop 37 drives me nuts. My wife, a Phd in Genetics, has been ranting against these nut laws over GMO's for years, yet it seems as a Liberal Progressive, I am ostracized by most of my colleagues for holding such horrible, although empirically based, beliefs. Conclusion: we as American have a long way to go when it comes to real Science education on both sides of the isle.
^ This.
I feel exactly the same way. Many of my liberal counterparts have jumped on the anti-GMO bandwagon without any scientific evidence to support their beliefs. It's a shame that people continue to support Dr. Oz and so many quacks out of sheer fear or ignorance.0 -
You had me at Dr. OZ. what a sham.0
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Amazing statistical analogy at the end. Similar to the correlation between global warming and the decrease in number of pirates.
We need more pirates and definitely less "Dr". Oz.0 -
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eh, whatever, he's just trying to help people, even if he has something to gain. Pretty sure "Do No Harm" is a big part of a doctors' ethics.0
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TMDR but i skimmed through it. I am at work now. I am bookmarking it for later though0
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Didn't need to read through all of that to know he is a crock !
I can't stand him and when I hear co-workers stating garbage they hear about on his show or making purchases of supplements/vitamins he recommends I just shake my head....0 -
Lost all respect for him after watching some of his recent shows....what a crock of bologna he's trying to sell the public. As a doctor, he has to know that this junk he's selling is not helpful. If you watch his show and try to take all the products that he PUSHES, you could get pretty sick. Hope he sleeps well at night.....I wouldn't if I were him.0
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GMO's proved pure havoc on my family....life changed for the better when we got off the GMO's.....My daughter is off ADD meds now thanks to going organic...and so happy about that because she was not my baby on those meds.....she's got her soul back.:)0
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Love it!! Thanks for sharing!0
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eh, whatever, he's just trying to help people, even if he has something to gain. Pretty sure "Do No Harm" is a big part of a doctors' ethics.
He is not trying to help people. He is trying to get paid and further HIS agenda. Pushing pills, fad diets, and supplements do NOTHING for those who watch. Well nothing but make their bank accounts have less money in them. And so far he has been lucky if nothing he has pushed has harmed someone since he uses "studies" that have little to no real evidence attached to them.0 -
Oh my...0
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I can keep taking raspberry ketones though, right? RIGHT??0
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Pandering to those who run the gamut from uneducated to uneducable is apparently a lucrative pasttime, is all I can figure. Dr. Oz was/is an esteemed medical doctor, but then took a right turn into woo woo land and has set up shop there. Heaven forfend we use science in agriculture.
Honestly, if you belive that anecdote is the plural of data, then you're a prime victim for Oz and Oprah and their ilk. All those poor people out there, convinced they have made themselves and/or their kids sick by not buying expensive whatever or eating organic or whatever he's pushing this week. Kind of sickening to prey on people like that.0
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