Quackwatch

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Hot Topics

Why Doctor's Data Is
Trying to Shut Me Up

How the "Urine Toxic Metals" Test
Is Used to Defraud Patients

FDA orders Dr. Joseph Mercola to stop making illegal claims

A close look at Dr. Eric R. Braverman and His PATH Medical clinic

Do Children Get Too Many Immunizations? The Answer Is No.

A Critical Look at Gary Null's Activities and Credentials

The Libel Campaign against Quackwatch and Dr. Barrett

Please Report HONCode Violators

Stay Away from Lorraine Day

Quackwatch is now an international network of people who are concerned about health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct. Its primary focus is on quackery-related information that is difficult or impossible to get elsewhere. To help visitors with special areas of interest, Dr. Barrett maintains 24 additional sites for autism, chiropractic, dentistry, multilevel marketing, and many other hot topics. Our Internet Health Pilot site provides links to hundreds of reliable health sites. Our Casewatch site contains a large library of legal cases, licensing board actions, government sanctions, and regulatory actions against questionable medical products. We are also affiliated with Bioethics Watch, which highlights issues of questionable research on humans. All of these can be accessed through the "Visit Our Affiliated Sites" drop-down menu above. Their contents can be searched selectively with our WebGlimpse multi-site search engine or all at once through our Google search page.

Nonrecommended Sources of Health Advice

Books (updated 9/6/06)
Degree Mills (updated 6/2/00)
Health-Food-Store Advice: Don't Trust It! (updated 11/1/16)
Individuals
- Robert Atkins, MD
- Robert Barefoot (updated 6/13/03)
- Peter R. Breggin, MD (posted 9/12/02)
- Jeffrey Bland, PhD (updated 4/19/04)
- Patrick T. "Tim" Bolen (updated 7/3/13)
- Hulda Clark's Bizarre Claims (updated 10/23/09)
- Adelle Davis (updated 1/15/06)
- Lorraine Day, MD (updated 3/16/13)
- Kurt W. Donsbach (updated 4/17/11)
- David Eisenberg, MD (posted 3/16/02)
- James S. Gordon, MD (posted 2/14/02)
- Earl Mindell (posted 3/14/05)
- Gary Null (updated 1/29/12)
- Memhet Oz, MD (link to another site)
- David W. Rowland (updated 5/6/00)
- Jordan S. Rubin (posted 3/13/06)
- Robert Sears, MD (link to another site)
- Andrew Weil, MD (posted 3/10/02)
- Julian Whitaker, MD (link to another site)
- Robert O. Young (posted 3/16/16)
- Other Individuals (Index) (updated 6/5/16)
Questionable Organizations: An Overview (updated 2/10/15)
- American Association of Nutritional Consultants (updated 10/18/05)
- Center for Medical Consumers
- Citizens for Health
- Council for Responsible Nutrition
- Foundation for the Advancement of Innovative Medicine (updated 9/21/99)
- National Health Federation (posted 7/18/03)
- People's Medical Society (updated 8/23/06)
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (link to another site)
Periodicals (updated 1/20/08)
"Psychic" Advice by Mail or Telephone (updated 8/2/01)
Publishers That Promote Quackery
- Avery Publishing Group
- Bottom Line Books
- EBSCO (Natural & Alternative Treatments Database)
- Future Medicine Publishing
- Keats Publishing
- Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
- Rodale Press
Nonrecommended Web Sites (updated 3/18/04)

Consumer Protection

Intelligent Consumer Behavior (posted 5/1/97)
Doctor-Patient Communication Tips (updated 10/9/06)
How to Spot a Personal Injury Mill (posted 7/25/02)
Antiquackery Organizations (updated 4/29/07)
Where to Complain or Seek Help (updated 2/11/04)
Online Scams: A Message from the FTC (posted 5/20/97)
Legal Help for Quackery Victims (revised 3/23/10)
Dealing with Telephone Pests (posted 5/15/02)
Spam Messages
- Some Strategies to Prevent Spams (updated 10/29/02)
- FTC Names "Dirty Dozen" Spam Scams (posted 4/6/00)
Strengths and Weaknesses of Our Laws (updated 9/15/01)
How Congress Weakened the FDA in 1994 (updated 5/18/02)
Genetically Engineered Foods Should NOT Bear Special Labels (posted 1/2/00)
Why Nutritionist Licensing Is Important (updated 8/16/11)
AMA Discourages Product Sales in Medical Offices (updated 11/23/99)
NYC Dept. of Consumer Affairs Health Food Stores Investigation (1983) (posted 11/29/14)
Viatical Settlements (posted 8/16/00)
FDA Warning Letters (2001)
The Dr. Rinse Case: An Inside Look at FDA Dietary Supplement Regulation in the 1980s (posted 6/19/11)
Other Important Regulatory Actions
- Enzymatic Therapy (posted 8/15/00)
- General Nutrition (updated 11/29/14)
- Home Shopping Network (posted 4/17/99)

Consumer Strategy: Health Promotion

Antioxidants and other Phytochemicals: Current Scientific Perspective (updated 1/22/10)
Cardiovascular Disease
- Risk Factors (updated 12/20/00)
- Does Lowering Homocysteine Prevent Cardiovascular Disease? (updated 5/6/10)
Dietary Supplements: Appropriate Use (updated 11/12/10)
Exercise: Choosing and Using Equipment (posted 11/7/97)
Fluoridation: Don't Let the Poisonmongers Scare You! (4 articles, updated 3/4/01)
Food Irradiation: A Valuable Public Health Measure (link to another site)
Immunization: Common Misconceptions (updated 4/20/13)
Tobacco-Related News (updated 4/7/00)
Vegetarianism: Healthful But Not Necessary (updated 3/17/00)
Vitamin K Injections Needed to Prevent Bleeding in Infants (posted 11/23/13)

Consumer Strategy: Tips for Provider Selection

Choosing a Dentist (posted 1/31/01)
Where to Get Mental Help (updated 11/14/02)
Where to Get Professional Nutrition Advice (updated 1/3/10)
Choosing an Osteopathic Physician (updated 4/24/01)
Choosing a Chiropractor (updated 10/13/00)
Be Wary of "Free Foot Exam" Ads (updated 12/20/98)
Board Certification: What Does It Mean? (updated 12/5/00)
Choosing a Personal Trainer (undergoing revision)
How to Check a Physician's Credentials (updated 1/14/08)
Choosing a Health Club (link to another site)
Personal Emergency Response Systems (posted 4/20/02)
Nonrecommended Treatment Facilities (posted 4/13/02)

Consumer Strategy: Disease Management

Drugs
- Tips for Prudent Use (posted 10/25/99)
- Generic Drugs: What You Need to Know (posted 9/22/02)
- Glaucoma Patients: Don't Waste Money on Overpriced Eyedrops (posted 5/1/00)
Fibromyalgia Strategies (8 articles, updated 2/13/00) FEATURE TOPIC
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (posted 6/7/00)
Latex Allergy Epidemic (updated 1/23/00)
Low Back Pain (updated 5/18/99)
Refractive Surgery (updated 8/23/05)
Scoliosis: A Sensible Approach (posted 1/14/98)

Education for Consumers and Health Professionals

A Smoking Un: How the Tobacco Industry Gets Away with Murder (1984) posted 11/3/13)
Consumer Health Library: Recommended Reference Books (updated 1/18/08)
Handling Challenges to Skepticism (posted 9/30/99)
HONcode Principles: What Do They Signify? (updated 8/10/14)
Internet Health Scares (posted 9/12/99)
Internet Search Strategies (posted 8/25/01)
Media Watch: Critiques of Prominent Articles and Broadcasts
- Consumer Reports' Attack on Pesticides Criticized (posted 4/30/99)
- The Unfounded Vaccination/Autism Scare (updated 11/17/02)
News Briefs (many topics, updated 12/18/01)
Questions and Answers (updated 3/31/03)
Quiz: What's Your Consumer Health IQ? (posted 9/19/97)
Recommended Magazines, Newsletters, and Journals (updated 3/8/08)
Reliable Agencies and Organizations (updated 10/20/05)
Urban Legends, Rumors, and Hoaxes (updated 3/3/02)
Web Site Evaluations (updated 3/18/04)

Research Projects (Volunteers Needed)

Alternative Cancer Treatment Registry (posted 9/20/98)
Dubious Advertising
Link Patrol (posted 5/18/98)
Multilevel Marketing through the Internet (updated 3/9/00)
Questionable Methods Project (updated 1/9/99)

Legal and Political Activities (How You Can Help)

Fighting Quackery: Tips for Activists (revised 3/11/04)
Scientific Activism for Cosmetic Chemists (and Others) (posted 5/18/15)
Qui Tam Suits against Health Care Fraud (posted 8/23/00)
Why Psychologists Should Not Be Licensed to Prescribe Psychiatric Drugs (posted 4/15/02)

Ring Membership

Anti-Quackery Ring (health-related frauds, myths, fads, and fallacies)
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Skeptic Ring (examines claims about paranormal phenomena and fringe science)
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Quackwatch abides by the HONcode principles of the Health On the Net Foundation Quackwatch home page visitors since 1/4/97: Our home-page hits reached 1 million on 3/28/00, 5 million on 8/19/04, and 10 million on 7/16/09. Portions of Quackwatch are updated several times a month. Most recent update: November 14, 2016.
Site indexing is done daily at 5:00 AM

All articles on this Web site except government reports are copyrighted.
Single copies can be downloaded for personal education; other uses without authorization are illegal.
"Quackwatch" and the duck picture are service-marked; their unauthorized use is illegal. Site design was developed by Marty Mapes of Boulder Information Services

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