Guest guest Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Disease-mongering is putting people at risk, researchers say Pharmaceutical firms are inventing diseases to sell more drugs, researchers have warned. Disease-mongering promotes non-existent diseases and exaggerates mild problems to boost profits, the Public Library of Science Medicine reported. Researchers at Newcastle University in Australia said firms were putting healthy people at risk by medicalising conditions such as menopause. But the pharmaceutical industry denied it invented diseases. DISEASE-MONGERING Restless legs - Prevalence of rare condition exaggerated Irritable bowel syndrome - Promoted as a serious illness needing therapy, when usually a mild problem Menopause - Too often medicalised as a disorder when really a normal part of life Report authors David Henry and Ray Moynihan criticised attempts to convince the public in the US that 43% of women live with sexual dysfunction. They also said that risk factors like high cholesterol and osteoporosis were being presented as diseases - and rare conditions such as restless leg condition and mild problems of irritable bowel syndrome were exaggerated. The report said: " Disease-mongering is the selling of sickness that widens the boundaries of illness and grows the markets for those who sell and deliver treatments. Campaigns " It is exemplified mostly explicitly by many pharmaceutical industry- funded disease awareness campaigns - more often designed to sell drugs than to illuminate or to inform or educate about the prevention of illness or the maintenance of health. " The researchers called on doctors, patients and support groups to be aware of the marketing tactics of the pharmaceutical industry and for more research into the way in which conditions are presented. They added: " The motives of health professionals and health advocacy groups may well be the welfare of patients, rather than any direct self-interested financial benefit, but we believe that too often marketers are able to crudely manipulate those motivations. " Disentangling the different motivations of the different actors in disease-mongering will be a key step towards a better understanding of this phenomenon. " But Richard Ley, of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said the research was centred on the US where the drugs industry had much more freedom to promote their products to the public. " The way you can advertise is much more restricted in the UK so it is wrong to extrapolate it. " Also, it is not right to say the industry invents diseases, we don't. It is up to doctors to decide what treatment to give people, we can't tell them. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 i remember when people use to have heartburn and indigestion now its " you could have reflux disease " so much scarier.... >heartwerk <jo.heartwork >Apr 11, 2006 4:38 AM > > Drug firms 'inventing diseases' > > >Disease-mongering is putting people at risk, researchers say >Pharmaceutical firms are inventing diseases to sell more drugs, >researchers have warned. >Disease-mongering promotes non-existent diseases and exaggerates mild >problems to boost profits, the Public Library of Science Medicine >reported. > >Researchers at Newcastle University in Australia said firms were >putting healthy people at risk by medicalising conditions such as >menopause. > >But the pharmaceutical industry denied it invented diseases. > > DISEASE-MONGERING >Restless legs - Prevalence of rare condition exaggerated >Irritable bowel syndrome - Promoted as a serious illness needing >therapy, when usually a mild problem >Menopause - Too often medicalised as a disorder when really a normal >part of life > >Report authors David Henry and Ray Moynihan criticised attempts to >convince the public in the US that 43% of women live with sexual >dysfunction. > >They also said that risk factors like high cholesterol and >osteoporosis were being presented as diseases - and rare conditions >such as restless leg condition and mild problems of irritable bowel >syndrome were exaggerated. > >The report said: " Disease-mongering is the selling of sickness that >widens the boundaries of illness and grows the markets for those who >sell and deliver treatments. > >Campaigns > > " It is exemplified mostly explicitly by many pharmaceutical industry- >funded disease awareness campaigns - more often designed to sell >drugs than to illuminate or to inform or educate about the prevention >of illness or the maintenance of health. " > >The researchers called on doctors, patients and support groups to be >aware of the marketing tactics of the pharmaceutical industry and for >more research into the way in which conditions are presented. > >They added: " The motives of health professionals and health advocacy >groups may well be the welfare of patients, rather than any direct >self-interested financial benefit, but we believe that too often >marketers are able to crudely manipulate those motivations. > > " Disentangling the different motivations of the different actors in >disease-mongering will be a key step towards a better understanding >of this phenomenon. " > >But Richard Ley, of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical >Industry, said the research was centred on the US where the drugs >industry had much more freedom to promote their products to the >public. > > " The way you can advertise is much more restricted in the UK so it is >wrong to extrapolate it. > > " Also, it is not right to say the industry invents diseases, we >don't. It is up to doctors to decide what treatment to give people, >we can't tell them. " > > > > > > > > >To send an email to - > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 last year, in first grade, my son was diganozed by his school psychiatrist to have ADHD and was strongly recomended by his teacher, the vice principal, and the psychitrist to go on RItalin. He was making disruptive noises in class and laughing inappropiately. we had a conference about it and my husband and I addamantly said no. we knew that the reason he was misbehaving is because, there was not a Gifted program in our neighborhood and he was bored in class. to make a long story short. this year he is in second grade, goes to a school for Gifted children and has NO behavior problems. In fact he is a spanish tutor to other students and is reading at a sixth grade level, doing fourth grade math at 7 years old. Sadly this Ritalin story is very common, we had to be assertive with these people in order to get him into that school. It is my belief that a lot or most(not all, some are genetic, enviromnemtal) diseases can be prevented with really good nutrition. it is so simple, common sense, most poeple should know this, but there is so much money to be made by pharmaceuticals. , fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote: > > i remember when people use to have heartburn and indigestion > now its " you could have reflux disease " > so much scarier.... > > > > >heartwerk <jo.heartwork > >Apr 11, 2006 4:38 AM > > > > Drug firms 'inventing diseases' > > > > > >Disease-mongering is putting people at risk, researchers say > >Pharmaceutical firms are inventing diseases to sell more drugs, > >researchers have warned. > >Disease-mongering promotes non-existent diseases and exaggerates mild Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 Hi Anouk > Sadly this Ritalin story is very common, we had to be assertive with > these people in order to get him into that school. I've heard so many stories that sound similar.... unfortunately so many parents just accept what they're told without questioning (not surprising, the people that are doing the telling are *supposed* to be experts!)... I'm glad you stood your ground... BB Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 11, 2006 Report Share Posted April 11, 2006 I agree Anouk - well done. Jo - " Anouk Sickler " <zurumato Tuesday, April 11, 2006 6:09 PM Re: Drug firms 'inventing diseases' > last year, in first grade, my son was diganozed by his school > psychiatrist to have ADHD and was strongly recomended > by his teacher, the vice principal, and the psychitrist > to go on RItalin. He was making disruptive noises in class > and laughing inappropiately. > > we had a conference about it and my husband and I addamantly > said no. > > we knew that the reason he was misbehaving is because, there was > not a Gifted program in our neighborhood and he was bored in class. > > to make a long story short. > this year he is in second grade, goes to a school for Gifted children > and has NO behavior problems. In fact he is a spanish tutor to other > students and is reading at a sixth grade level, doing fourth grade > math at 7 years old. > > Sadly this Ritalin story is very common, we had to be assertive with > these people in order to get him into that school. > > It is my belief that a lot or most(not all, some are genetic, > enviromnemtal) > diseases can be prevented with really good nutrition. > > it is so simple, common sense, most poeple should know this, but > there is so much money to be made by pharmaceuticals. > > > > > , fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote: > > > > i remember when people use to have heartburn and indigestion > > now its " you could have reflux disease " > > so much scarier.... > > > > > > > > >heartwerk <jo.heartwork > > >Apr 11, 2006 4:38 AM > > > > > > Drug firms 'inventing diseases' > > > > > > > > >Disease-mongering is putting people at risk, researchers say > > >Pharmaceutical firms are inventing diseases to sell more drugs, > > >researchers have warned. > > >Disease-mongering promotes non-existent diseases and exaggerates mild > To send an email to - > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.