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Dirty medicine

Posted 23 May 2013

CAMCheck focuses on CAMS and alternative medicine. In fact CAMCheck is against ALL therapeutic products that make bogus or unsubstantiated claims, including those from Big Pharma: however because of the breadht of this issue, CamCheck has selectively focused primarily on CAM products.

CAM manufacturers frequently argue claim that generic proof is acceptable, i.e., that claims for an ingredient should automatically be allowed by a product containing that ingredient. We argue that the tablet or formulation may not dissolve in the same way, may not be similarly bioavailable, and in many cases, that there is no proof that the ingredients are exactly the same or that the combination of ingredients will result in the same efficacy.

In this article published in CNN Money, the authors do an in depth investigative report on the epic inside story of long-term criminal fraud at Ranbaxy, the Indian drug company … Read the rest

May 23rd, 2013 | Tags: , , | Category: No Proof! | Leave a comment

Logical fallacy poster

Posted 06 May 2012 

This infographic poster can be printed out at various sizes for hanging in your favourite place that has walls. Make yourself, your class, your friends or your kids smarter by hanging it somewhere your face is near. This poster lists a wide range of logical fallacies that scam artists, pseudoscientists, and alternative medicine practitioners use in order to dupe you.

“A logical fallacy is usually what has happened when someone is wrong about something. It’s a flaw in reasoning. They’re like tricks or illusions of thought, and they’re often very sneakily used by politicians and the media to fool people. Don’t be fooled! This website and poster have been designed to help you identify and call out dodgy logic wherever it may raise its ugly, incoherent head.” yourlogicalfallacyis.com

… Read the rest
May 6th, 2012 | Tags: , | Category: No Proof! | Leave a comment

More sex = a longer life? Really???

The local South African magazine Health Intelligence Edition 12 proclaims on its cover: "Passion promotes health – sex for a longer life".

 

(Note: The highlighting box has been added.) On page 20 the article has the title: "Sex, so necessary for positive health: sex is a buzzword that defies trendsetting and social mores, staying top of mind and tip of tongue" and is written by Kirsten Alexander.  It is seemingly supported by 12 "scientific references" .

The Solal Technologies website Health Intelligence includes the following "product information": "Health Intelligence goes further and deeper [than other health magazines], because our focus falls squarely on the facts. Health Intelligence offers breakthrough science, enabling you to better protect your health. Thoroughly researched and using only the latest, peer-reviewed studies by leading international and local experts, Health Intelligence articles are not only credible, they are revolutionary, all the while offering life-enhancing … Read the rest

February 5th, 2012 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Category: Cancer, No Proof!, Pseudoscience, Solal | Leave a comment

Reebok – Liar, liar, pants on fire?

Posted 30 January 2012

On the 10th October 2011, this was posted on CamCheck:

“A complaint was laid with the ASA. [In essence pointing out these false claims resulted in  a massive $25-million class action settlement.] On the 3rd August, a response from the ASA “Reebok Easy Tone Shoes / H A Steinman /18355” was received. Shannon Bouwer, PR & Communications Manager or Reebok, had the following to say in their response to the complaint:

“We are In receipt of your letter dated 1 August 2011. We are no longer flighting this advert in South Africa and therefore this investigation may be redundant. As a leading fitness and athletic brand, Reebok has a long history of developing new and innovative technologies, and we stand behind all of our products. We are proud of EasyTone’s unique balance ball-inspired technology, and consumer feedback for the product has been overwhelmingly positive.”

However, … Read the rest

January 30th, 2012 | Tags: , | Category: Reebok | Leave a comment

Reebok baloney

Posted 10 October 2011

We previously highlighted that Reebok's claims that Reebok Easy Tone Shoes can tone your legs and buttocks while walking around and wearing them were baloney and that consumers should ask for their  money back. 

Seems like we were not alone in recognising this rubbish: Reebok, has to shell out $25-million as a settlement.

However, this is where it is interesting . . . 

… Read the rest
October 10th, 2011 | Tags: | Category: ASA (SA) Rulings, FTC Ruling, Reebok | Leave a comment

The dangers of cherry-picking evidence

Posted 28 September 2011

" A deliberately incomplete view of the literature, as I hope I've explained, isn't a neutral or marginal failure. It is exactly as bad as a deliberately flawed experiment, and to present it to readers without warning is bizarre." 

An excellent article by Dr Ben Goldacre and published in the Guardian.

… Read the rest
September 28th, 2011 | Tags: , | Category: No Proof! | Leave a comment

‘Sad facts about happy pills’ – not so many facts!

Posted 23 August 2011; updated 17 December 2011


Edition 10 of a local magazine ‘Health Intelligence’ has on its cover a headline: ‘Antidepressant dangers exposed – The sad facts about happy pills’ – an article written by Morné Malan who has a PhD in English.

(The original article being deconstructed can be read here:
Sad Facts About Happy Pills – Health Intelligence Edition 10 page14)

UPDATE (17 December 2011)

Comment 8 of the comments section below contains the following statement by Brent Murphy the editor of Health Intelligence magazine: “Therefore we will be publishing the following statement in edition 12 (edition 11 is already in circulation so it can’t appear in that)”. (emphasis added) This is followed by the promised  “CLARIFICATION” which reads:

“In an article Sad Facts about Happy Pills featured in Health Intelligence 10,  it was reported as “FACTS” that antidepressants cause death, … Read the rest

August 23rd, 2011 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Category: Health Information, No Proof!, Solal | 9 comments

Reebok Easy Tone Shoes

Posted 3 August 2011

Do you think that a product like Reebok Easy Tone Shoes can tone your legs and buttocks while walking around and wearing them? The claims just seemed to be too implausible. "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".

I laid a complaint with the ASA on 22 July 2011 and wrote:

… Read the rest
August 3rd, 2011 | Tags: | Category: ASA (SA) Rulings, Reebok | Leave a comment

Distorting Evidence: A South African Example

One of the cardinal sins of any researcher is to tamper with their data to make them ‘fit’ the results they were wanting. A recent international example is that of Dr Andrew Wakefield, who published articles in the reputable Journal ‘The Lancet’, which apparently showed a causal link between the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine and autism. Fortunately his deception was uncovered; he was struck off the roll of the General Medical Council in the UK; and The Lancet retracted his articles. The tragedy is that many people did not have their children vaccinated because of this deception, and a number of these unvaccinated children went on to develop measles and some even died. Others may have to cope with the consequences for years to come.

Hot on the heels of the sin of such deceptive fraud must surely be when other persons’ legitimate research results are misrepresented to promote a … Read the rest

April 6th, 2011 | Tags: , , , , | Category: Cancer, MCC (Medicines Control Council), No Proof!, Solal | 15 comments

Faith drops – in response

Colleen (from Faith drops) added a comment to the posting of the ASA ruling against the claims of Faith drops. As the comment is far too long, I have added it as a posting.

Colleen (from Faith drops) writes:

To Harris / Geffen / Roy Jobson…. And anyone else

It would appear that everyone is on a mission – I guess we are keeping this site active by swallowing the bait – as before I am even able to respond to one thing they are on to the next……    Allow me to have my say – then by all means, everyone – have at it!!!   
Put the truth on your blog – not an extraction of something that is taken totally out of context –  at the very least the reading … Read the rest

September 18th, 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Category: ASA (SA) Rulings, Faith drops, MCC (Medicines Control Council), No Proof!, Pseudoscience | 9 comments
 
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