By Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Promoters
of quackery know how to appeal to every aspect of human vulnerability. What
sells is not the quality of their products but their ability to influence their
audience. Here are ten strategies to avoid being quacked:
1. Remember that quackery seldom looks
outlandish. Its
promoters often use scientific terms and quote (or misquote) from scientific
references. Some actually have reputable scientific training but have gone
astray.
2. Ignore any practitioner who says that most
diseases are caused by faulty nutrition or can be remedied by taking
supplements. Although
some diseases are related to diet, most are not. Moreover, in most cases where
diet actually is a factor in a person's health problem, the solution is not to
take vitamins but to alter the diet.
3. Be wary of anecdotes and testimonials. If someone claims to have
been helped by an unorthodox remedy, ask yourself and possibly your doctor
whether there might be another explanation. Most single episodes of disease
recover with the passage of time, and most chronic ailments have symptom-free
periods. Most people who give testimonials about recover from cancer have
undergone effective treatment as well as unorthodox treatment, but give credit
to the latter. Some testimonials are complete fabrications.
4. Be wary of pseudomedical jargon. Instead of offering to treat
your disease, some quacks will promise to "detoxify" your body,
"balance" its chemistry, release its "nerve energy," or
"bring it in harmony with nature," or to correct supposed "weaknesses"
of various organs. The use of concepts that are impossible to measure enables
success to be claimed even though nothing has actually been accomplished.
5. Don't fall for paranoid accusations. Unconventional practitioners
often claim that the medical profession, drug companies, and the government are
conspiring to suppress whatever method they espouse. No evidence to support
such a theory has ever been demonstrated. It also flies in the face of logic to
believe that large numbers of people would oppose the development of treatment
methods that might someday help themselves or their loved ones.
6. Forget about "secret cures." True scientists share their
knowledge as part of the process of scientific development. Quacks may keep
their methods secret to prevent others from demonstrating that they don't work.
No one who actually discovered a cure would have reason to keep it secret. If a
method works-especially for a serious disease-the discoverer would gain
enormous fame, fortune and personal satisfaction by sharing the discovery with
others.
7. Be wary of herbal remedies. Herbs are promoted primarily
through literature based on hearsay, folklore and tradition. As medical science
developed, it became apparent that most herbs did not deserve good reputations,
and most that did were replaced by synthetic compounds that are more effective.
Many herbs contain hundreds or even thousands of chemicals that have not been
completely cataloged. While some may turn out to be useful, others could well
prove toxic. With safe and effective treatment available, treatment with herbs
rarely makes sense.
8. Be skeptical of any product claimed to be
effective against a wide range of unrelated diseases-particularly diseases that
are serious. There
is no such thing as a panacea or "cure-all."
9. Ignore appeals to your vanity. One of quackery's most
powerful appeals is the suggestion to "think for yourself" instead of
following the collective wisdom of the scientific community. A similar appeal
is the idea that although a remedy has not been proven to work for other
people, it still might work for you.
10. Don't let desperation cloud your
judgment! If
you feel that your doctor isn't doing enough to help you, or if you have been
told that your condition is incurable and don't wish to accept this fate
without a struggle, don't stray from scientific health care in a desperate
attempt to find a solution. Instead, discuss your feelings with your doctor and
consider a consultation with a recognized expert.
For more information about health-related frauds, myths, fads, and
fallacies visit the internet web site , operated by Quackwatch, Inc., a
nonprofit corporation. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information
that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. Founded by Dr. Stephen
Barrett in 1969 as the Lehigh Valley Committee Against Health Fraud, it was
incorporated in 1970 and assumed its current name in 1997. Its activities
include: