Home Health On The Small Screen Dr. Oz Admits Weight Loss Supplements Are “Flawed” With “Lots of Fraud”

Dr. Oz Admits Weight Loss Supplements Are “Flawed” With “Lots of Fraud”

by Erika Nicole Kendall
Dr. Oz on the Today Show

Dr. Oz has been taking a lot of flack the past couple of weeks, some of it legitimate and some of it not, but he’s been taking it head on this week, reacting to both a letter sent to him (allegedly not intended to be public) from ten scientists as well as a letter from his peers at Columbia University (where Oz is a professor.)

Today, he went on The Today Show and interviewed with Matt Lauer about the entire affair, and said something I found super important:

Just in case you missed it, here’s the direct quote:

“I’m proud of all those words. There’s only one time that I have not been proud of and that’s the understandable frustration that has been expressed about weight-loss supplements. I wish I could take back the words I said about them. This is a flawed area with lots of fraud, both in the research and in products. And we no longer talk about them. I haven’t talked about them in a year.”

I think it’s super important to highlight this particular quote, because so many of us believe in the probability of success due to weight loss supplements because of people like Oz, but – and let me be clear – it’s essential to note that he’s calling the research fraudulent, which implies that anyone could’ve come to the same conclusions his production team did when it comes to this stuff.

Why does Dr. Oz regret promoting weight loss supplements? Read more here! Click To Tweet

Also worth noting:

During an earlier interview with NBC’s Stephanie Gosk, Oz defended his show, saying its purpose was to discuss “the good life,” not medicine.

He emphasized the point with Lauer, saying his show is “much broader than a medical lecture series.” Oz said his show embraces “unconventional practices” like the power of prayer or how wellness is practiced in China.

“My whole life has been about pushing boundaries, looking around the corner, both high tech solutions but also some low tech approaches,” he said.

He said last week’s letter from doctors criticizing him as careless came from individuals who “have agendas,” specifically biases against genetically modified organisms, an areas he has supported.

“I think they were unfair in not wanting us to have that conversation,” he said.

But Oz said [he] welcomed the letter from his colleagues at Colombia and was “very proud to have that feedback.”

“You’re not going to please everyone, that’s not my goal. My job is to help America understand the opportunity towards health,” he said. “The show has to be much broader than what might take place in a doctor’s office…I completely respect why so many of my colleagues might have a difficulty with that, but I’m also appreciative that many of them do understand why that’s important.” [source]

Ultimately, we all could benefit from a little skepticism, but how can you be adequately skeptical of something like weight loss supplements when everything tells you they should work annnnnnd if they, in fact, don’t, it’s your fault?

Here’s a hint: stick to weight loss efforts that can result in long term and permanent results. This does not include raspberry goji hoodie ketone berries.

Here's another hint: the way you lose that weight is the way you'll keep it off. Click To Tweet

Here’s another hint: the way you lose it is the way you’ll keep it off. Make sure it’s manageable.

What do you think about this? Does this entire affair change your view of Dr. Oz?

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3 comments

Ebony April 26, 2015 - 10:46 AM

I have more respect and appreciation for Dr. Oz. I appreciate doctors who provide education on other medical alternatives instead of just seeing a doctor and taking pharmaceuticals.
There is going to be some skepticism because this country has been taught that only doctors and pills can fix or heal our problems.

JoMaria April 26, 2015 - 3:05 PM

I am so over him and I am just over this whole commercial weight loss ideas and tricks. It been a while since I last saw a Dr. Oz show. Yes, this whole affair did change my view on him, I don’t trust his opinion anymore. At the end of the day it all about the money.

Eulee July 11, 2015 - 3:02 PM

I have as much respect for Dr. Oz as ever. I appreciate any physician who is willing to admit that doctors don’t have all of the answers. If you were to delve into the entire drug process, you would be surprised at just how low of a percentage of efficacy is required for a drug to be proven before approval by the FDA. Unfortunately, drug companies aren’t willing to shell out dollars for a supplement that they cannot patent which forces people like me to rely upon both my own and other users’ anecdotal evidence.

I have successfully treated things such as eczema, night sweats, and allergies with natural supplements and processes without horrid side effects that can accompany pharmaceuticals.

I was reading the cancer blog of a woman diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer (a tough one to beat) and the last exam she had with her oncologists found them surprised to see her not only alive, but thriving. Although she took some chemo, she also took things that supported the immune system and fought the condition in different ways. After their initial surprise, the doctors talked down to her about the different treatment protocols she should take going forward, despite the fact that her cancer was on the wane and nearly undetectable. She found herself wondering, if none of their other patients survived, shouldn’t they be instead asking me what I’m doing?

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