Consumers Beware! Social Harms Distortion of Perspective Nutrition Quackery at it's Best! Part 4

Secret Truths of Nutrition Quackery 108

Consumers Beware! Social Harms Distortion of Perspective Nutrition Quackery at it's Best! Part 4


This will be a four part series on Harm done by Quackery that will include: indirect harm by omission, psychological harm, economic harm, social harm, and direct harm by commission. This four part series will discuss how the harm caused by quackery fits into these categories.

Indirect Harm

Quackery can seriously harm or kill people by persuading them to abandon, delay, or fail to seek effective medical treatment for grave medical conditions (Barrett and Jarvis, ADA 2008). This is considered indirect harm by omission (Calif. Medical Association). While the number of people lured away from effective treatment into disability or death cannot be ascertained, it is apparently not large enough or obvious enough to provoke a public outcry (Barrett and Jarvis).

Direct Harm

Direct harm is considered harm by commission such as poisoning, maiming, malnutrition, or injury (Barrett and Jarvis). This category includes dangers posed by herbs, herb and drug interactions, contaminated and adulterated supplements, excess vitamins and minerals, and the macrobiotic diet. The L- trytophan tragedy will be discussed first since it is good example of the harm that can occur when dietary supplements are sold without proof of safety, efficacy, potency, or purity (Foster and Tyler).


Social Harm

Here is the final section of this four part series of Harm done by Quackery. Last but not least there is also harm to society. Consumers are taking greater responsibility for self-care due to an evolving health care system and are more vulnerable to nutrition misinformation, quackery, and fraud than ever before. Nutrition products have been found to be among the most commonly misused. This issue becomes even more critical as the population ages, since the majority of victims of health care fraud-up to 60 percent- are older people (ADA 2008).

Money wasted on quackery would be better spent on medical research. Instead, quacks use a great deal of this money to spread misinformation and weaken consumer protection laws.

Quackery is so subtle that few people even realize they are victims. Unfortunately, many people believe that an unscientific method has helped them. They usually have confused cause and effect with coincidence. Sometimes an unproven approach actually relieves emotionally related symptoms by reducing the person's tension level (Barrett and Jarvis).

Quackery can also ruin the lives that are thoroughly deluded that they devote themselves o promoting the methods and welfare of quackery. I'm not saying alternative medicine and supplements are all bad I personally believe there is a time and place for prevention of disease. However, you also need to do your homework when it comes to Health Care, Exercise, Nutrition and Scientific evidence of dangerous disease-producing bacteria. To end this series just be aware of the quacks that claim disease-producing bacteria destroys essential nutrients (which is untrue). Be your own judge and get good resources of science-based evidence and a trusted professional adviser. Best advice be your own advocate, get the facts, and the real truth.

Have a healthy and happy day!!

To yours in Health, Fitness, and serious Nutrition talk,

Natalie Pyles

References: Nutrition Dimension, Ellen Coleman, (Barrett and Herbert), (Foster and Tyler).

NSA Speaker, Author, Medical Exercise and Post Rehab Conditioning Specialist, Licensed Nutritionist, Health, Fitness, and Holistic