Who is into Alt. Med. & Update on QuackBusters

[Guest guest]

Comments?

Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

Quackbuster Report Card: D(-) and Sinking Fast...

 

Opinion by Consumer Advocate Tim Bolen

 

November 2nd, 2003

 

Everybody in the North American Health Freedom Movement knows who

the " quackbusters " are. It's been said, often, " If you're not on

Stephen Barrett's dubious " quackwatch " website, then you're NOT

IMPORTANT in REAL health care. The more space he gives you, the

bigger the threat you are. "

 

But the question that's always there is " who's winning the war - us,

or them? "

 

Well, believe it or not, the US Government did a survey through the

National Science Foundation (NSF), in 2001, about our war, and the

results will ASTOUND you.

 

So, let's ask the obvious questions, the ones the NSF was finding

the answers for, and have the NSF study answer them...

 

The Questions and the Answers...

 

(Q) How big an effect is the New York ad agency, and it's array of

lower " quackbuster " minions (i.e.; NCAHF, quackwatch.com), having on

America's thoughts about Alternative Medicine?

 

(A) The NSF says " In response to the 2001 NSF survey, an

overwhelming majority (88 percent) agreed that " there are some good

ways of treating sickness that medical science does not recognize. "

(See appendix table 7-58.) The American Medical Association defines

alternative medicine as any diagnostic method, treatment, or therapy

that is " neither taught widely in U.S. medical schools nor generally

available in U.S. hospitals. " However, at least 60 percent of U.S.

medical schools devote classroom time to the teaching of alternative

therapies, generating controversy within the scientific community. "

 

(Q) But the drug companies have INCREASED their TV advertising,

the " quackbusters " have infiltrated all of the " AltMed " internet

discussion groups, Barrett and his cronies have quadrupled the

number of anti-health websites, and the quackpots at FTC have

INCREASED their attacks on AltMed. Isn't this having an effect?

 

(A) The NSF says " Nevertheless, the popularity of alternative

medicine appears to be increasing. A recent study documented a 50

percent increase in expenditures and a 25 percent increase in the

use of alternative therapies between 1990 and 1997 (Eisenberg et al.

1998) A large minority of Americans (42 percent) used alternative

therapies in 1997 and spent a total of at least $27 billion on them. "

 

(Q) Are the " quackbusters " winning ANYWHERE?

 

(A) The NSF says " the authors of the study reported that the use of

alternative therapies was: at least as popular in other

industrialized nations as it was in the United States. "

 

(Q) Who, exactly, in the US is into Alt Med these days?

 

(A) The NSF says " more popular among women (49 percent) than among

men (38 percent) and less popular among African Americans (33

percent) than among members of other racial groups (44.5 percent);

and higher among those who had attended college, among those who had

incomes above $50,000, and among those who lived in the western

United States. "

 

(Q) But the " quackbusters " rail at herbal medicine, massage,

megavitamins, self-help groups, folk remedies, energy healing, and

homeopathy. Are they having an effect?

 

(A) The NSF says " Furthermore, among the 16 therapies included in

the study, the largest increases between 1990 and 1997 were in the

use of herbal medicine (a 380 percent increase), massage,

megavitamins, self-help groups, folk remedies, energy healing, and

homeopathy. [60] " And they also say " " therapeutic touch, " was taught

at more than 100 colleges and universities in 75 countries. "

 

(Q) But the quackbusters call anyone who believes in

AltMed " stupid. " Are they right? Is it just s few dumb people who

believe in AltMed?

 

(A) The NSF clearly shows in their report appendix table 7-

58 " http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/seind02/append/c7/at07-58.pdf " just

the opposite. In fact, the study shows that 88% of all adults

believe in AltMed, 90% of all Males, 88% of all Females, 83% of

all " less than high school graduates, " 89% of all High School

Graduates, 92% of college graduates, and 89% of those who are very

interested and very well informed on the issue.

 

(Q) So who IS buying into the quackkbuster scam?

 

(A) According to the NSF Study, less than 1% of the population.

 

In Conclusion...

 

Despite all the money being funneled into the project through the

New York ad agency, America isn't much buying into the big lie. Big

pharma's not getting their money's worth.

 

Stay tuned...

 

Tim Bolen - Consumer Advocate

 

This " Millions of Health Freedom Fighters - Newsletter " is about the

battle between " Health and Medicine " on Planet Earth. Tim Bolen is

an op/ed writer with extensive knowledge of the activities of a

subversive organization calling itself the " quackbusters, " and that

organization's attempts to suppress, and discredit, any, and all

health modalities that compete with the allopathic (MD) paradigm for

consumer health dollars. The focus of the newsletter is on the

ongoing activities, battles, politics, and the victories won by

members of the " Health Freedom Movement " against the " quackbusters "

It details " who the quackbusters are, what they are, where they are

operating, when they appear, and how they operate - and how easy it

is to beat them... "

 

For background information on the " Battle between Health and

Medicine " go to: http://www.savedrclark.net/by_whom2.htm. A copy of

THIS newsletter, and older ones, are viewable at the website

http://www.quackpotwatch.org/default.htm.

 

For EVEN MORE interesting and related articles go to

http://www.bolenreport.com.