Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Dr. Oz: I have met the enemy. It is us.

David L. Katz, MD
Physician
May 20, 2015
156 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

dr oz

Enough already about Dr. Oz. Whichever side you happen to be on, we might collectively acknowledge that much of the noise being made about what is, at worst, a symptom, is itself an indication of a culture-wide disease. The fate of Ozymandias comes to mind.

Science is Ozymandias. Soundbites are the ruin of it.

In the case of the Oz saga, it’s abundantly clear to anyone who actually has examined the details, from green coffee bean extract, to glyphosate, to the BMJ’s take on evidence-based guidance, that most people sounding off certainly have not. At this point, it’s business as usual in our culture: Most people with something to say are mistaking their opinion about someone’s opinion about someone’s opinion, for a fact.

This goes on all the time and at our collective peril. Consider, for instance, the now infamous meta-analysis that showed us all “it’s good” to eat saturated fat. Just one question: Did you read it? Do you even know anyone who actually read it? (Well, you now know at least one…) As for whether or not those opining were qualified to understand the study even on the odd chance they did read it, well — that’s clearly asking too much.

That study was promptly converted into headlines such as “Butter is Back” and has become a pop culture meme. But the study never so much as hinted at a health benefit from saturated fat. It showed, in essence, only that across a very narrow range of saturated fat intake in the U.S., rates of heart disease were always high and just about constant. All it really showed is that we have invented more than one way to eat badly (we have, in fact, been doing just that for decades now). And no, this is not some radical assertion of mine; when I was on NPR with the study’s senior author, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the nutrition school at Tufts, he said much the same.

But this sort of distortion is not an exception, it’s the rule; it’s how we roll. America runs on Dunkin’ only on a good day. On an average day, we run mostly on BS.

Dr. David Allison, a colleague at the University of Alabama, who like everyone else who manages to matter at all, has both his disciples and his detractors, publishes a weeklynewsletter that compiles studies related to obesity and energetics. There is a feature, every week, entitled “Headline vs. Study.”

Yes, that’s versus. And frankly, it’s almost unbelievable how truly “versus” they tend to be. Some painfully technical, deeply ambiguous study in, say, fruit flies about the vague possibility of what some protein might potentially do, or not do, under some very specific circumstances, becomes: “Novel protein cures obesity!” Film at 11:00.

This is going to sound quite horrible, so I ask in advance: forgive me. It’s been a rough week.

Maybe, if we are this silly; this intellectually lazy; this gullible; and this eager to indulge in wishful thinking and the pursuit of pixie dust — we deserve to be as prone to the consequences as we obviously are. Maybe if we are utterly fatuous, we deserve to be fat. The real cause of epidemic obesity, diabetes, and so on? Hyperendemic stupidity.

I said I was sorry.

No one would believe such hyperbolic nonsense about money, or education. No one committed to supporting a family would look every day for a headline offering a new way to get rich quick. That’s the stuff of sitcoms. But get healthy quick? Lose weight quick? A novel molecule to fix all that ails us, fresh from a study in fruit flies? Fantastic- I’ll go get my credit card!

Folks, get out your frying pans, too, and choose your fish. This is not confined to any one source; whole industries, from big food to big publishing, Madison Avenue to Times Square, run on it.

We have a systemic problem in a culture prone to subordinate science to soundbites as a matter of routine. We have a systemic problem in our propensity to treat science like a Ping Pong ball, pretending that the weight of evidence and our fundamental understanding change with each new study. We have a systemic problem when few bother to read past headlines, and headlines are not merely hyperbolic, but as often as not, just wrong — willfully, or otherwise.

Around the ruin of understanding, the vast and barren sands of our culture stretch to the horizon in every direction. I’ve wandered around there, and met the enemy. It is us.

David L. Katz is founding director, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center. He is the author of Disease-Proof: The Remarkable Truth About What Makes Us Well.

Prev

Throwing the kitchen sink at public health problems

May 20, 2015 Kevin 0
…
Next

Paying patients for their engagement

May 20, 2015 Kevin 2
…

Tagged as: Mainstream media, Obesity

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Throwing the kitchen sink at public health problems
Next Post >
Paying patients for their engagement

More by David L. Katz, MD

  • There are only 3 ways to allocate health care resources

    David L. Katz, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    The dietary guidelines are for which Americans, exactly?

    David L. Katz, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    No, it’s not the broccoli: What to make of the new dietary guidelines

    David L. Katz, MD

More in Physician

  • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

    Zahid Awan, MD
  • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • 7 ways to beat burnout: a guide for health care professionals to reduce stress and reclaim their passion

    Marie Livesey, DO
  • Heartwarming stories of cancer patients teaching us about life and the human spirit

    Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH
  • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

    Jeffrey A. Singer, MD
  • The meaning of death in medicine: the role of compassionate care in end-of-life patient care

    Ton La, Jr., MD, JD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • How chronic illness and disability are portrayed in media and the importance of daily choices for improved quality of life

      Juliet Morgan and Meghan Jobson | Physician
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

      Zahid Awan, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 7 ways to beat burnout: a guide for health care professionals to reduce stress and reclaim their passion

      Marie Livesey, DO | Physician
    • The unjust reality of racial disparities in pediatric kidney transplants

      Lien Morcate | Conditions
    • The pros and cons of taking a gap year during medical school

      Med School Insiders | Education, Sponsored
    • A family physician’s journey on the OIG list and the struggle to return to practice [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 3 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • What's With the Buzz Around NAD+ Injections?
  • Standing, Walking After Major Surgery Tied to Less Risk of Post-Op Complications
  • Tenapanor Improves Abdominal Symptoms in Patients With IBS-C
  • How to Overcome the Catch-22 in Precision Medicine Research
  • Spell Check-Up: Try to Pass This Spelling Test

Meeting Coverage

  • Tenapanor Improves Abdominal Symptoms in Patients With IBS-C
  • Benefits Found for Hand OA Drug Treatments
  • MRI-Based Screening May Detect Prostate Cancer Earlier
  • New Model Aims to Study Intestinal Fibrosis in Crohn's Disease
  • Hypertension Tied to Worse Survival After Surgery for Upper Tract Urothelial Cancers
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • A patient’s perspective on the diminishing relationship between doctors and patients

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
    • How chronic illness and disability are portrayed in media and the importance of daily choices for improved quality of life

      Juliet Morgan and Meghan Jobson | Physician
    • The hidden factor in physician burnout: How the climate crisis is contributing to the erosion of well-being

      Elizabeth Cerceo, MD | Physician
    • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

      Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH | Policy
    • The power of coaching for physicians: transforming thoughts, changing lives

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
    • Unlocking the secrets of cancer conferences: an end-of-life counselor’s journey among pharmaceutical giants

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • Breaking point: the 5 reasons American doctors are dreaming of walking away from medicine

      Amol Shrikhande, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • Finding your ideal work-life balance: tips for prioritizing personal life and achieving professional success

      Zahid Awan, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • 7 ways to beat burnout: a guide for health care professionals to reduce stress and reclaim their passion

      Marie Livesey, DO | Physician
    • The unjust reality of racial disparities in pediatric kidney transplants

      Lien Morcate | Conditions
    • The pros and cons of taking a gap year during medical school

      Med School Insiders | Education, Sponsored
    • A family physician’s journey on the OIG list and the struggle to return to practice [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Dr. Oz: I have met the enemy. It is us.
3 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...