Dr. Oz responds to critics: 'My show is not a medical show'
(NBC)
In an interview with NBC news on Thursday, Dr. Mehmet Oz said his TV series, "The Dr. Oz Show," "is not a medical show."
America's most famous doctor has been under fire lately for recommending to viewers some arguably "quack" treatments that don't always seem substantiated.
Even though Dr. Oz might not think his show is about medicine, some of the show's 3.4 million daily viewers might be under the impression that it is indeed a medical show.
The show has "Dr." in the title. On air, Oz presents himself as a Columbia University heart surgeon and often dresses in scrubs. He also presents health and wellness advice to his audience. Most of his recommendations focus on diet, health, and fitness, but he covers other health-related topics as well.
Still, Oz suggests the "Dr." part of his show's name shouldn't be taken literally. He told NBC:
"It's called The Dr. Oz Show. We very purposely, on the logo, have 'Oz' as the middle, and the 'Doctor' is actually up in the little bar for a reason. I want folks to realize that I'm a doctor, and I'm coming into their lives to be supportive of them. But it's not a medical show."
I want folks to realize that I'm a doctor, and I'm coming into their lives to be supportive of them. But it's not a medical show.
This cuts to the core of the controversy surrounding Oz — his show looks like medical advice and sounds (sort of) like medical advice, but it definitely is not medical advice, per Dr. Oz himself.
A recent study of 40 episodes the show aired in 2013 found that roughly half the advice doled out on it had little to no solid scientific evidence to back it up.
In other words, when Dr. Oz tells his audience he's found the "miracle cure" for weight loss in the form of a plant extract, or that they can reduce their stress levels by using a psychic to communicate with their dead loved ones, they should be skeptical.
Tim Sullivan, the director of publicity for "The Dr. Oz Show," recently told Reuters that the program has "always endeavored to challenge the so-called conventional wisdom, reveal multiple points of view and question the status quo."
He added, "The observation that some of the topics discussed on the show may differ from popular opinion or various academic analyses affirms that we are furthering a constructive dialogue about health and wellness."
Sullivan did not immediately respond to a Business Insider request for comment.
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