Dr. Mehmet Oz was educated at Ivy League universities, has won numerous medical awards, is a professor and vice-chair of surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and came to prominence giving medical advice on the television show Oprah. Sounds highly credible right? On paper yes, but let’s take a closer look.
Photo of Dr.Oz at the Time 100 Gala. Author: David Shankbone, via Wikimedia Commons
First, let’s talk about those “miracle supplements” Dr. Oz so commonly refers to; in particular, Garcinia cambogia. Dr. Oz stated that this was “the newest, fastest fat-buster.”
From YouTube user: garciniacambogia009
No exercise, no diet, no effort? It sounds too good to be true, right? It is.
Slate.com was first to bust this “find” and stated that in 1998 a study looked at its effects as an “antiobesity agent” in 135 people and found that Garcinia cambogia pills were no better than placebo for weight loss. More recently, a study involving 706 participants was unable to provide support that Garcinia cambogia extract had any impact on weight. In some studies, a few trials showed short-term slimming, but the overall effects were so small and most studies were so flawed that the authors were unable to conclude any results. Dr. Oz handpicked data to support his claims because really, who wants to watch a television show exclaiming “Garcinia cambogia: Proven to do nothing!” It seems Dr. Oz has sold his scientific morals for ratings.
Experiencing large disapproval from the scientific community, Dr. Oz decided to conduct his very own experiment to prove he still has his roots firmly planted in the scientific method. Unfortunately, Dr. Oz only managed to add supporting evidence that he does not follow good scientific practices. Looking for toxic levels of arsenic, he tested apple juice from five popular juice makers in the U.S. claiming that he found toxic levels in all five. There are too many problems with this study. First, Dr. Oz asked a lab to test for total arsenic, but there are two forms of arsenic: Organic and inorganic. Organic is found everywhere and is practically harmless. He received a warning letter from the FDA stating that arsenic occurs naturally in many foods and that only inorganic forms are toxic. Testing for total arsenic can therefore not be used to determine whether a food is unsafe. Second, never replicated his own results. He didn’t even question the numbers he got from the lab, which the FDA warned were giving erroneously high results. Yet, Dr. Oz showed no hesitance when reporting the results on his show. He didn’t express even the slightest uncertainty about his findings. Even the media caught on. ABC’s medical editor interviewed Dr. Oz who danced around the accusations.
From YouTube user: ABCNews
These are just a couple instances of Dr. Oz demonstrating a lack of adherence to scientific principles. He may have the brains and the heart for science, but Dr. Oz needs to find his courage as he presents himself as the cowardly lion far too often.
-Nicole Gehring
