Mehmet Oz was last year questioned by a Senate subcommitte regarding his statements on, among other things, a weight-loss supplement containing green coffee extractWIKIMEDIA, DAN BOLLINGER
At a time when half of Americans believe in at least one of six medical conspiracies—according to a May 2014 JAMA study—and celebrities with no medical background are giving medical advice to the public, there is a clear divide between scientific fact and general knowledge. Recently, one celebrity who does come from a medical background has come under fire: in connection with his claims regarding a weight-loss supplement, physician Mehmet Oz (“Dr. Oz”) was in June questioned by a Senate subcommittee; the research behind his statements on the compound was retracted in October.
Some of the blame can be put on us scientists. We like to think our research speaks for itself, that the peer-review process is efficient and relatively fair, and that the results ...