Originally published at: Dr. Idz uses TikTok to debunk wellness influencers | Boing Boing
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If you’re tired of “wellness influencers” on social media spreading misinformation about nutrition, exercise, and other aspects of health and wellness
I’m not. Because I listen to a real family practice doctor who graduated from an actual university (UCLA) not some schlub pushing a lemon squeeze cleanse or whatever.
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is there a way to watch all of this guy’s videos without actually doing it on tiktok? It seems entertaining/educational, and yet I don’t want to actually USE tiktok.
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“Wellness influencers” are really just scammers. The internet and social media of different stripes has shown people they can make money with clicks, so you generate BS for web traffic and voila’: income.
The history of medicine is interesting, you could just as well call it the history of science, and I will trust the kind of results science gets before I trust the local con-artist shaman
In a sense, this isn’t even really new, it’s just the new snake oil.
[ETA: oh, and don’t forget the magic healing power of bubbling water.]
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Every time I see those ‘electric belt’ snakeoil things, it makes me think of “The Road to Wellville”, the movie version of which kind of horrified me when I saw it was a teenager. I just wasn’t prepared; it’s not like I can’t stomach weird stuff. Such a contraption was demonstrated in the movie, and it was quite obviously a sex toy masquerading as some ‘constitution-enhancing’ vitality device. I wonder if that’s true of the ones that really existed?
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I can’t remember if those gizmos in Road To Wellville were real or not, I think I remember seeing an actual ad for one once but I may be mixing it up with something in the movie.
Offering people stuff that “makes them feel good” and marketing it as a medicine. . . .
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The other thing that reminds me of (not a sex toy) are those “fat jiggling” machines.
I remember when I was a kid in the 70’s, our grandpa used to take us to the Elks Club to teach us how to play pool and there was a so-called exercise room near by and it had one of these. I was like, WHAT IS THIS? LOL.
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He’s on Instagram too.
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Egad, sanitized tape worms. Sanitized in the radioactive water no doubt.
I’m surprised the GOP grifters haven’t resurrected this stuff yet.
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Unfortunately, they’re also gateways to conspiracism and fascism.
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Yay for science on social media!
For similar TikTok debunking content, check out Dr. Steven Novella. He’s a prominent rationalist now also doing similar TikTok videos.
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Good for you, but billions of people do listen to these clowns and they have a huge influence on culture. Every time you hear someone say they’re cutting back on carbs or going to a chiropractor for their back pain, that’s the influence these people have. We have to push back on it.
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And when real doctors promote woo? My mother once believed a charlatan who promoted salts enriched water for a series of ailments. Fortunately, she woke up and began to take better care of her health, taking the correct medications, changing her diet and exercising.
During the pandemic, several doctors were against vaccines and prescribed medicines against worms to treat Coronavirus patients.
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Sure, sometimes they do. Doctors are people and many have quack beliefs.
However, a lot fewer, and there is an accountability process. Wakefield lost his medical license for his antivax nonsense. Nobody can do a damn thing to Gwyneth Paltrow.
A common refrain anytime someone defends evidence based-medicine and science is for someone to point out it isn’t perfect. Well, no, of course it isn’t. But it’s a whole lot better than everything else, so what do you want me to say?
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