Quackery is promotion of untested products as nutritional aids or aids to human health
(quackwatch.com)
60 billion dollar per year industry Why?
- people want a quick fix
- appeals to fear, self-esteem, vanity, sex-appeal, hope
- appeals to the idea that 'natural' can help us
Supported by:
- case histories, testimonials, anecdotal evidence
- subjective evidence
- placebo effect, most likely
May cause harm!!! There have been cases when a potential cure turned out to worsen the illness that was supposed to be treated.
What to watch out for:
1. Recommendations that promise a quick fix
2. Claims that sound too good to be true
3. Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study
4. Recommendations based on a single study
5. Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations
6. Lists of 'good' and 'bad' foods
7. Recommendations made to help sell a product
8. Recommendations based on studies published without peer review. (Peer review is a process by which a study submitted for publication is sent to outside experts in the field for their comments as to its worth.)
Francis Bacon:
"Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true."