Why you should never take medical advice from Dr. Oz

There are many reasons to like Dr. Oz. He’s a hard worker, he’s charismatic, he’s good-looking (?).

Scientific credibility and critical thinking are not among those reasons.

Dr. Oz got in trouble at a Senate hearing last week for making dubious claims about “miracle” and “magic” pills that are supposed to cure cancer and melt fat from your body.

Watch how uncomfortable Dr. Oz gets when he’s questioned about whether he actually believes in the “magic” pills that he enthusiastically endorses (start at the 2:02 mark):

If he says “yes,” then clearly he’s an idiot who believes in hokey miracle cures. If he says “no,” then he’s a fraud who promotes products he doesn’t believe in. So he stammers and hedges and evades, until finally he’s forced to answer the question.

Oz has gotten in trouble before (is it okay if I just stop calling him “Dr.” Oz? I really don’t feel like he deserves to be called that) for giving uncritical airtime to so-called psychics who claim to be able to talk to the dead and enthusiastically promoting pseudoscientific “detox” diets.

On occasion Dr. Oz is capable of dispensing sound medical advice. The trouble is that for many viewers, it is difficult to know if Oz is going on one of his I-don’t-really-believe-this-but-I’m-going-to-say-it-anyway-for-sensationalism-and-ratings kicks, or if he’s actually onto something that may provide a medical benefit.

Oz is one of my least favorite “authorities” on health and fitness. He shamelessly promotes products that are untested and unproven, and makes millions of dollars doing it. It’s an abuse of the respect that we tend to have toward doctors, and it’s shameful.

It’s very satisfying to see him get grilled by US senators. Now if they would just go after certain unnamed celebrity “trainers” who don’t know what they’re talking about (*cough cough* rhymes with Million Jichaels), that would really make my day.

At the end of the day, there really aren’t a lot of secrets to being healthy and fit. Eat real foods, get good sleep, be active (not just exercising in a gym! go for walks, play with your kids, enjoy sunshine and green spaces, play new game!). Practice gratitude. Spend quality time with your friends and family.

That’s not so complicated, is it?