Should I Trust Doctor Oz? (Spoiler Alert: Probably Definitely Not)
We’re wrapping up our Snake Oil Salesmen heavy hitters today with a delightful guest episode, a journalism student and Best Friend of Brooke, Devon Watson! Our month-long hiatus is just around the corner, but before we take a much-needed break we have to dump all over a bad, bad dude.
Doctor Oz to the Principal’s office, please.
Wait, Doctor Oz? Like the guy from TV?
The very same.
Today, Devon gives Olivia and Brooke a wide window into just how far down the pseudoscience rabbit hole Dr. Mehmet Oz really goes. Though he is a trained surgeon and sitting professor at Columbia University, it seems even medical professionals aren’t immune to the allure of show business.
And being terrible.
I Didn’t Know He Sold Stuff
Technically, he doesn’t. Dr. Oz began his entertainment career on a show called A Second Opinion with Doctor Oz, but he staked his claim to fame as so many other Snake Oil Salesmen do: on The Oprah Winfrey Show. After his appearance on Oprah’s show and subsequent anointing as “America’s Doctor,” he began working on The Doctor Oz Show, which is essentially a glorified commercial for various medical devices, strategies, supplements, etc.
While he doesn’t sell anything directly, he absolutely received sponsorships from the products and companies he endorses. Even worse, it seems good ol’ Oz doesn’t care much for the accuracy of the claims he makes on his show. As long as he’s getting a paycheck, right?
But He Can’t Just Lie, He’s a Doctor!
You’d think that, wouldn’t you?
In Devon’s breakdown of the Oz Man, she details the extensive list of ridiculous and often verifiably-false claims he has made during the 11-season (and counting) run of his show. Most of the individual instances Devon mentions are herbal remedies - which we’ve discussed before can absolutely have effects on the body (for better or worse). But because of the lack of regulation on supplements and vitamins, there’s no way to know if you’re even getting the supplement in any meaningful amount. Worse, Dr. Oz doesn’t just claim these remedies have benefits, he claims that they’re miraculous.
Without getting into too much detail, Dr. Oz has enthusiastically endorsed:
Umckaloabo (African Geranium) for the common cold and flu
Bars of lavender soap for Restless Leg Syndrome
Baking soda and lemon juice for teeth whitening
Garcinia Cambogia for weight loss
Green Coffee Bean Extract for weight loss
Raspberry Ketones for… weight loss
Now, it’s bad enough that Dr. Oz claims that these are sure-fire cures for anything at all, given that there’s either not enough research or no research at all to support those claims. African Geranium is the closest thing to a real home remedy on this list, and even that is warned to be dangerous in high doses (which Oz conveniently left out of his endorsement).
His various ‘miracle’ weight loss endorsements are almost entirely false. For example, Garcinia Cambogia was found in one single study to achieve weight loss results of 2 pounds over the course of 2-12 weeks. No offense, Oz, but I lose more than that when I take my morning dump. Water weight fluctuation alone can be responsible for anywhere between 1-10 pounds lost or gained in as little as a week.
I don’t even have time to unpack how insane it is to claim that bars of lavender Dial will cure RLS if you sleep with them under your sheets by your feet. I just… what? There is absolutely no scientific support for this.
But worst of all, some of these claims are fully dangerous to follow. Green coffee bean extract is simply a diuretic - there is no difference between green coffee and brown coffee besides roasting. The only weight loss element to green coffee beans is the caffeine content - and it is absolutely not safe to use caffeine as a weight loss aid. Don’t even get me started on baking soda and lemon juice. Baking soda is an abrasive substance, people! Lemon juice is an acid! You’re just destroying your tooth enamel! Stop!
Woah, That’s… Bad. Can’t Anyone Do Anything?
People have tried, in a general sense. A study from the British Medical Journal actually fact checked the contents of his show and found that only 46% of his recommendations had any connection to science at all. Not a strong connection, just any connection at all. 15% of his claims were entirely contrary to medical research, and 39% had zero connection to scientific studies whatsoever.
In 2016, three plaintiffs got together and sued Dr. Oz for the false advertising of diet supplements. During the hearing, Senator Claire McCaskill said, “I’ve tried to do a lot of research in preparation for this trial, and the scientific community is almost monolithic against you in terms of the efficacy of the three products that you called miracles.” At the end of the day, the case settled out of court, and Dr. Oz agreed to pay the plaintiffs a sum total of $5.25 million - or, as I like to call it, “not enough.”
In 2015, a group of 10 doctors wrote to the Dean of Medicine at Columbia University and asked them to remove Mehmet Oz from his teaching position, claiming that his continued tenure at a “prestigious medical institution” was “unacceptable.” I’d tend to agree with them.
But Dr. Oz, as audacious as ever, didn’t see eye to eye with the doctors. Instead of graciously stepping down from his post, he issued the following statement:
“I know that I’ve irritated some potential allies in our quest to make America healthy. No matter our disagreements, freedom of speech is the most fundamental right we have as Americans. These 10 doctors are trying to silence that right. So I vow to you, right here, right now: we will not be silenced, we will not give in.”
Wait, What?
Dr. Oz victimized himself to the world when rightfully criticized for spreading potentially harmful misinformation on his nationally-syndicated television show. He claimed that these doctors were infringing on his First Amendment rights by calling him out for things he said in front of a studio audience. Somehow, Mehmet Oz manages to paint himself as an underdog, a voice of the people who will “not give in” to the pressures of legitimate medicine.
This is, without a doubt, one of the most narcissistic things I have ever seen.
What keeps us up at night about this whole mess is the apparent belief that money is more important than the wellness of millions of viewers. Dr. Oz claims he stands by his recommendations, even claims he gives the supplements he endorses to his family. Let’s be absolutely clear here: there’s no way a man with a medical degree is giving green coffee bean extract to his kids. He’s a cardiologist. It’s his job to know better. But apparently the Hippocratic Oath doesn’t apply when you’re standing in front of a camera.
The people who watch and believe Dr. Oz are people who want to find something that works. They had bad experiences with the medical industry, have tried everything under the sun, or are just scared to get a professional opinion. They’re looking for answers in a man who does not have their best interest at heart, who prioritizes money and fame over the job he’s meant to do.
It horrifies us that people like this can abuse their position of power over the public and suffer nearly zero consequences. Sure, he had to pay a couple million dollars to three people. But for a man whose net worth is $30 million and generates millions per episode, that’s close to pocket change. His show wasn’t cancelled, his position at the University of Columbia wasn’t threatened, and he is allowed to continue manipulating the public without restraint. It’s abhorrent, and there should be safeguards in place for the people who take his word as gospel. Shame on you, Mehmet. You’re a bad dude.
Thanks to Devon for enlightening us on just how bad Doctor Oz really is - we loved having her on the show, and would do it again in a heartbeat. We’re adding him to the list of people we’d like to kick in the shins.