November 2010

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Oprah, miraculous healing and then some good news

November 25, 2010 in Health & Medicine, New Age by askeptic | No comments

Follow Oprah and you could get very sick indeed

Oprah, the mega star and media Goliath of self help nonsense is at it again.  Well, let’s face it, she is always at it. This time, however, those buying into the Oprah hype could very well end up dead. That’s the difference between taking medical advice from a real doctor and taking it from a media personality. The doctor’s obligation is to tell you the truth and help you get better. The obligation of media personalities is to sell tickets to the show – even if the ticket is a front row seat to your funeral. Read the rest of this entry »

As the body count rises, the media handwashing begins

November 21, 2010 in Health & Medicine by askeptic | 3 comments

The recent death of a Canadian man from complications arising from so-called liberation therapy for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), is an unfortunate reminder of a point we raised a little while ago – every procedure has its risks (ASkepticRTN: MS Advocacy Groups are playing a dangerous game).

The death of Mahir Mostic from a blood clot, the biggest risk with this likely ineffective therapy, has generated a lot of media attention. Whereas before, the media was awash in positive reports from those undergoing the procedure, now we are hearing about the downside; blood clots in the veins leading to the brain and the very temporary relief experienced by those undergoing the treatment. Of course, these ‘stories’ were always there, it just took the death of someone for the media to take notice. Read the rest of this entry »