14 DAY TRIAL // With a solid and constant viewership, and the projects he launched to branch out, Dr. Oz is a force to be reckoned with. His shows and website help millions of people (not just women) to discover healthier lifestyle options, boost their energy levels, seek treatment in unlikely places and, last but not least, lose weight.
On his show, Dr. Mehmet Oz often talks about fad diets and proven weight loss plans, presenting the advantages and disadvantages of each and, when need be, bringing in experts to offer a much needed word of advice as well.
Sometimes, he gets a bit too passionate about a product he’s presenting, which, in turn, makes it look as if he’s peddling it. This was the reason why he was scolded by a Senate panel the other day, on the topic of a “crisis in consumer protection,” a crisis in which he too has contributed his share, whether knowingly or not.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, chairwoman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, told Dr. Oz that we have come to a point where the more we spend on weight loss products, the fatter and unhealthier we are, ABC News reports.
Dr. Oz is part of that problem because of the way he words his presentations of these products, because, if you think about it, even if he’s not directly endorsing them, people will still buy them like crazy if they’re described as “miracle in a bottle.”
“Why when you have this amazing megaphone and this amazing ability to communicate, why would you cheapen your show by saying things like that?” Sen. McCaskill told him.
“When you call a product a miracle and it's something you can buy and it's something that gives people false hope, I just don't know why you need to go there. Why would you say something is a miracle in a bottle?” the Sen. continued.
One such “miracle” weight loss product that was mentioned a lot was green coffee bean extract, which Dr. Oz talked about on his show before there was even proved that it was directly linked to weight loss.
At the hearing, Dr. Oz denied ever directly endorsing or selling the products presented on the show, saying that, if his face / name was ever attached to them, it was a fraud. However, in the end, he did admit that he must show a bit more restraint in the way he introduces new weight loss products to his audience.
“I actually do personally believe in the items I talk about in the show. I passionately study them. I recognize that often times they don't have the scientific muster to present as fact. But, nevertheless, I give my audience the advice I give my family all the time. I give my family these products, specifically the ones you mentioned. I'm comfortable with that part,” Dr. Oz explained.
He added that he always made it a point of telling his audience that these weight loss products, whatever they were, would never be a long-term solution to a weight problem because sustainable, healthy weight loss could only be achieved through healthy eating and regular exercise.