The Saturday Telegraph has ran a pretty dire article on the “Top 20 health gurus” – outlining the ‘achievements’ of 20 prominent ‘gurus’. Including Patrick Holford, naturally (though I do wonder how those ‘gurus’ excluded from the list feel – what does it do to one’s ego to fail to make this type of list ;) ). Happily, though, this has been promptly debunked by Damian Thompson on his Counterknowledge and Telegraph blogs (and the article itself ends by rating several therapies based on their “Nut content“).
Thompson offers
a gem of a quote from a master of medical counterknowledge. “I’m not sure how much credibility these pointy-heads have,” says Dr Michael Dixon, trustee of The Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Medicine
Absolutely – why bother to assess the evidence for ‘alternative’ medicine when you can complain about the pointy heads of those who are cautious about the use of unproven therapies. These unproven theories can be extremely problematic: as Thompson points out
Western homeopaths and alternative practitioners are moving into Aids-ravaged Africa. Some of them treat HIV with vitamins. Which brings me to the subject of another of our celebrity health gurus, the nutritionist Patrick Holford…while we’re on the topic of Holford’s theories, let’s just remind ourselves of one of them: “AZT, the first prescribable anti-HIV drug, is potentially harmful and proving less effective than Vitamin C.” Meaning what? You’d better not speculate, or you’ll be hearing from Patrick’s lawyers.
Describing Holford, the article asks “Are men of almost 50 meant to look so youthful and trim?” Thompson offers his own speculation as to why: “I put it down to never having had to go through the stress of acquiring university qualifications in medicine or nutrition.”
Damn, so that’s why academics often look so tired. Never mind, I’ll just have to content myself with polishing my pointy head.
‘Describing Holford, the article asks “Are men of almost 50 meant to look so youthful and trim?” Thompson offers his own speculation as to why: “I put it down to never having had to go through the stress of acquiring university qualifications in medicine or nutrition.”’
He could have added the stress of having to deal with people on a daily basis who have real illnesses.
Guys
Kudos on your mention in Private Eye’s pithy and rather good debunking of the Sainted Patrick this week.
In fact, perusing their article, methinks they have been reading you very assiduously (at the least).
I hope this is the beginning of a new phase in the Eye’s relationship with alt-balls. Speaking as a near 40 yr-veteran Eye reader, if they could just forget their long-term obsession with Wronged Crusader “Saint” Andy Wakefield, and kick a few more Alt Gurus in the ‘nads, I could die a happy man.
Thanks :D blogged this now.
Yep, at this rate the Eye might even run something critical about Wakefield some time. Or am I too optimistic?