American Council on Science and Health
I've stumbled on to this group at least a couple times in the last week. The American Council on Science and Health says they were formed by a "... by a group of scientists who had become concerned that many important public policies related to health and the environment did not have a sound scientific basis.".
So what subjects do they deal with and where do they stand on them? They don't seem too happy with the Center for Disease Control. They don't seem too fond of television's Doctor Oz, either. They seem to be in favor of the California bill to strengthen vaccination requirements. Not sure, but maybe neutral about an increase in the costs of prescription drugs last year. Interesting info on that, regardless.
More issues to come, I'm sure. I've bookmarked their News & Views page and added it to my News links. One more news site for morning reading.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 8:29 AM
10 comments
10 Comments:
To like Dr. Oz, it helps if you're ignorant about modern medical knowledge.
Google "Dr. Oz congress."
Also check out this analysis:
http://www.bmj.com/content/bmj/349/bmj.g7346.full.pdf
Oh, the latest news from two days ago, this CNN headline: Physicians to Columbia University: 'Dismayed' that Dr. Oz is on faculty
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/17/health/dr-oz-columbia-letter/
Also google his name and add the search term: quack
Well, I tend to be leery of those who criticize others who go against conventional wisdom, so I'll give Dr. Oz that.
I haven't watched him in some time, although I did fairly regularly for a short time years ago. Enjoyed him at first. It didn't seem he was caught up too much in the latest health fads then. Then he seemed to get more and more into alternative stuff and I began to think of him as the Jerry Springer of medical TV.
By that logic, you must also find witch doctors credible. Evidenced-based medical research matters. Now I understand your positions on a lot of other issues.
Remember that conventional wisdom held that coffee was bad for you a couple decades ago. Now it's believed to be good for you.
Fred, you might be entertained by Last Week Tonight's take on Dr. Oz. Here's their first take 10 months ago, then an update from this week:
First coverage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA0wKeokWUU
Update:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEUtW6XXHdY
And, actually, there isn't conclusive evidence coffee is good for you. Don't confuse a single study with scientific consensus.
Why would you believe a single study about coffee, and disbelieve more than a thousand studies on climate change?
"Why would you believe a single study about coffee, and disbelieve more than a thousand studies on climate change?"
I don't. Science is never "settled". Just pointing out how studies come to different conclusions and change over time.
And climate change "science", as far as I'm concerned, is done along the same lines as the recent attacka on e-cigs and vaping where, as Dr. Michael Siegel pointed out, "are studies run by ideology rather than science".
As far as Doctor Oz goes, I'd say I'm pretty much in support of him. Keep in mind I haven't watched him for years. I stopped watching him when he seemed to become focused on health fads.
But, I don't consider him to be spreading anti- medicine or science dogma.
I never heard him advise against any commonly accepted medical procedures. He's never said, "don't get that colonoscopy" or anything along that line, at least while I watched him. He just hyped up health food and health practice fads.
He probably shouldn't be using works such as "miracle fat reducer" and such. I won't be surprised if he stops doing that after all the brouhaha.
Oh, I did see him avoid plugging an unsafe health fad once, although he didn't address it directly.
He had some gal on once plugging some fad diet. Right at the end of her segment, the last thing she says is something like, "and be sure to drink a gallon of water a day". She might have said two gallons a day. That's not good advice and can be dangerous.
Dr. Oz' eyes rolled up in his head and he quickly (and obviously) moved on to the next guest. I'm not sure if he's addressed it since, but you shouldn't be drinking large amounts of water all the time. It can deplete your potassium and cause heart arrhythmia, if not worse.
I know someone that went into seizures from drinking water all day because she was told it was the thing to do. Ended up at Mad River Hospital where they told her she depleted her potassium by drinking and pissing so much.
Yet that fad lives on. Had a Facebook Friend I'd see pushing it over and over to keep drinking all this water. I'd explain to her that's not a good idea, but she'd keep bringing it up. Oh, well.
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