Oprah Responds to Criticism About Her Health Advice
Oprah’s not sitting still, after a Newsweek cover story, titled “Crazy Talk: Oprah, Wacky Cures, and You,” appeared in the news magazine last week.
It’s a long article providing much food for thought, but its overarching theme is that Oprah and her staff haven’t properly vetted the guests who espouse medical advice on her show.
In other words, some of it is sound and some of it is snake oil, and Oprah should do a better job distinguishing between the two. The magazine takes to task actresses Suzanne Somers (and her dozens of alternative medicines) and Jenny McCarthy (who suggests a vaccine causes autism, though there’s little scientific evidence to support the claim, according to the magazine).
Well, Oprah wasn’t about to just let that go.
In a statement released to Entertainment Tonight (and reported by Newsweek), Oprah responds, saying: “For 23 years, my show has presented thousands of topics that reflect the human experience, including doctors' medical advice and personal health stories that have prompted conversations between our audience members and their health care providers. I trust the viewers, and I know that they are smart and discerning enough to seek out medical opinions to determine what may be best for them.”
I have to agree with the magazine. Oprah has too much sway to not be diligent about what she promotes on her show. If a product is dubious or untested, Oprah needs to say so.
This is ripe for discussion. Tell us what you think in the comments below and on our forum.
Comments
I checked out the Newsweek article, and although they were harsh, I have to agree that Oprah shouldn’t be vetting ANYTHING that is questionable…because I personally put a lot of stock in what she promotes. It is true that our mental health affects our physical health. I wish my own doc would put a little more time in listening to what I say.
In a health newsletter I receive from WomentoWomen — the famous holistic health clinic in Maine, Marcelle Pick, the lead practitioner there said the following:
“The thing that is most upsetting to me about the recent attempt to undermine Oprah’s approach,” says Pick, “is that it doesn’t present a balanced perspective on alternative therapies and the role they play in our wellness. There is a substantial body of scientific literature supporting alternative approaches, which is why more and more Americans are choosing to include an alternative perspective when considering their health. Much of what is considered as alternative in our country is part of the conventional standard of care in Europe and Asia, where alternative therapies have been helping people for centuries.”
I found this interesting because maybe this is a very U.S.-centric article in Newsweek, something I haven’t seen mentioned before.
Despite what Oprah says, sometimes her viewers actually AREN’T smart enough to make health decisions in their best interest. Although these people bear most of the blame for believing everything they hear on Oprah, it isn’t fair for Oprah to shift all the blame away from herself. She’s very influential and she should take responsibility for that.