Consumer Health Digest is a free weekly e-mail newsletter edited by William M. London, Ed.D., M.P.H., with help from Stephen Barrett, M.D., It summarizes scientific reports; legislative developments; enforcement actions; other news items; Web site evaluations; recommended and nonrecommended books; research tips; and other information relevant to consumer protection and consumer decision-making. The Digestâs primary focus is on health, but occasionally it includes non-health scams and practical tips. Items posted to this archive may be updated when relevant information becomes available. To subscribe, click here.
John Oliver lambastes sponsored content on local news. In a 21-minute video, comedian John Oliver has exposed how sponsored content promoting dubious health products and services can get blended into local television news programs without prominent disclosure of the sponsorship. Examples included:
- an $879 shockwave device promoted for erectile dysfunction and cellulite with the misleading claim that âthe technology is FDA-recognizedâ when the device is merely registered with the FDA as a therapeutic massager
- a laser treatment promoted for treating vaginal atrophy, even though the FDA has warned that using the device for vaginal ârejuvenationâ or to perform vaginal cosmetic procedures may lead to serious adverse events, including vaginal burns, scarring, pain during sexual intercourse, and recurring or chronic pain
- an unapproved, potentially harmful stem-cell therapy promoted for MS and Parkinsonâs disease by a doctor who was disciplined several times by the Texas Medical Board
- unproven stem-cell therapies promoted for multiple conditions by a naturopath
To demonstrate how easy it is to get sponsored content for ridiculous products featured on local news broadcasts, Oliver and his producers created Venus Inventions, Inc., which offered a âsexual wellness blanketâ called Venus Veil. The blanket was said to contain proprietary magnetic fibers that could âimprove a wide range of sexual conditions from erectile issues to vaginal decay.â âNews segmentsâ for the blanket were aired on KVUE in Austin, Texas for $2,650, KMGH-TV (Denver7) in Denver, Colorado for $2,800, and KTVX (ABC4) in Salt Lake City, Utah for $1,750. [Dessem M. John Oliver tricked local news shows into promoting a bogus âSexual Wellness Blanketâ he invented. Slate, May 24, 2021]
Harsh realities of multi-level marketing exposed. A recent exposé of multi-level marketing (MLM) by Good Housekeeping includes:
- stories of former distributors with links to their videos in which they criticize how MLM companies operate
- links to videos describing how distributors use their pregnancies or infertility to recruit women facing similar struggles to become distributors
- discussion of cultism in the MLM industry
- discussion of the popularity of anti-MLM content on TikTok, which has banned content promoting MLMs.
- descriptions of MLM companiesâ responses to recent warnings by the Federal Trade Commission
- evidence suggesting financial success for distributors is rare
- discussion of findings from the 2018 âAARP Study of Multilevel Marketing: Profiling Participants and the Experiences in Direct Salesâ
- psychological support resources offered by the anti-MLM community
[Garrity A. Inside the âtoxicâ world of women selling you everything from supplements to skincare on social media. Good Housekeeping, May 24, 2021]
Atropine overdose attributed to homeopathic preparation. A homeopathic preparation supposedly made with four 1-to-10 serial dilutions of an Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade) extract turned out to contain enough atropine to give a 53-year-old man a toxic overdose leading to an emergency department visit. The man experienced loss of taste, blurred vision, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, feelings of fear and anxiety, loss of full control of body movements, muscle weakness, dry mouth, inability to speak, lack of coordination, urinary retention, and visual impairment. The symptoms began soon after taking 30 drops of the preparation, which had been prescribed by an âalternativeâ practitioner to treat the manâs stomach pain. Similar improperly manufactured homeopathic preparations have caused toxic reactions, including deaths, among children and adults. [Schmoll S. and others. Anticholinergic syndrome after atropine overdose in a supposedly homeopathic solution: A case report. Clinical Toxicology, May 14, 2021]
Chiropractic consumer protection measures supported in B.C. At an âextraordinary general meetingâ of the College of Chiropractors of British Columbia on June 5, 2021, 54% of hundreds of chiropractors in attendance voted for non-binding resolutions favoring the regulatory agencyâs recent moves to: (a) prohibit routine and repeat diagnostic x-rays and (b) ban advertising claims that arenât supported by scientific evidence. The significant minority opposing the collegeâs consumer protection measures included believers in traditional chiropractic vitalism who claim to help a wide range of health problems and not just musculoskeletal conditions. [Lindsay B. B.C. chiropractors divided over misleading claims, routine use of X-rays. CBC News, June 6, 2021]
Complaints filed against Canadian health professionals who spread COVID-19 misinformation. At least four British Columbia physicians have filed complaints about Denman Island family physician Dr. Stephen Malthouse related to (a) his widely circulated writings falsely claiming that coronavirus disease is no more deadly than the flu, and (b) his opposition to public health measures related to COVID-19. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia has not yet taken disciplinary action, but CBC News has reported that an investigator has been assigned to the case. In May 2021, the College and the First Nations Health Authority issued a joint statement warning that physicians who put the public at risk by sharing anti-vaccine, anti-mask, anti-physical distancing and anti-lockdown misinformation may face regulatory action. B.C.âs regulators issued similar warnings 14 months earlier to both chiropractors and naturopaths. The College of Chiropractors says it has investigated five complaints about registrants sharing misinformation or promoting unproven treatments for COVID-19, and each of those has resulted in a reprimand and a fine of $250 to $700. The only complaint received by the College of Naturopathic Physicians is under investigation. [Lindsay B. B.C. doctors urge action on colleague spreading COVID-19 misinformation. CBC News, May 16, 2021]
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