Weight-loss, chronic pain, Facebook, and more…

FSM News & Articles

CSIRO profiting from weight loss pill with no scientific backing: The pills, marketed as ‘Metabolic C12’ contain lauric acid, which has some early evidence behind it as an appetite suppressant. However, it has never been tested for weight loss. The Impromy weight loss program was developed with CSIRO, and it appears a partnership with Blackmores is behind this product marketing. While CSIRO scientists have conducted research on lauric acid, they do not support marketing this as a product to consumers at this early stage. Alarmingly, the packaging notes association with CSIRO and The University of Adelaide – giving the impression that the evidence behind this product is clear and backed by reputable sources. “The way in which CSIRO’s name is currently being used in association with the Impromy program sits outside the scope of what was approved by CSIRO in the original agreement,” a spokeswoman said.

FSM Friends News & Articles

No good evidence for chiropractic, osteopathic or other manual treatments for children suffering from any conditionAn impressive 17% of US chiropractic patients are 17 years of age or younger. This figure increases to 39% among US chiropractors who have specialized in paediatrics. Data for other countries can be assumed to be similar. But is chiropractic effective for children? All previous reviews concluded that there is a paucity of evidence for the effectiveness of manual therapy for conditions within paediatric populations.

General

GPs can help patients manage chronic non-cancer pain – with fewer opioids: With the opioid crisis still a major problem, particularly in the US, it is good to see that GPs can lead the way in the treatment of chronic pain without having to resort to opioid prescribing. Opioids obviously are still useful in the right context, but the desire of doctors to seek a quick fix for a patient in obvious pain has led to epidemic of opioid addiction and overdose deaths. Undoubtedly, this trend is made worse by people expecting to receive a script from their GP to fix their problem, like people who demand antibiotics for a virus infection. Offering lifestyle advice and alternative coping mechanisms is an obvious way forward in the alleviation of both patient suffering and opioid addiction.

Facebook will crack down on Anti-Vaccine content:  Facebook announced Thursday that it’s diminishing the reach of anti-vaccine information on its platform. It will no longer allow it to be promoted through ads or recommendations, and will make it less prominent in search results. The social network will not take down anti-vaccine posts entirely, however. The company also said it was exploring ways to give users more context about vaccines from “expert organizations.”

Why do people believe In pseudoscience? “Not all ideas are created equal. History and psychology both suggest that we cling most tenaciously to our beliefs, even the false ones, when they support some narrative about who we think we are. That’s why there is always a bull market for ideas that seem to justify injustice, like the racist pseudoscience of the 19th and early 20th centuries or, I would argue, climate change denialism today.”

Health insurance changes – should you choose Gold, Silver or Bronze? Here at FSM we welcomed recent changes to health insurance legislation that stopped cover for unproven modalities – including reiki, homeopathy, iridology and herbalism. But there are additional changes that the legislation covered – including grouping insurance policies into ‘gold, silver or bronze’ minimum coverage groups. This Choice guide might help your navigate some of these changes, and work out which cover suits you.

Today’s Abused Health Concept

Homeoprophylaxis: Stronger action urged against homeopathic products touted as alternatives to vaccines: While many people are aware that homeopathy is just ridiculous magic water, fewer are aware the homeopathy offers “nosodes” or “homeoprophylaxis” as homeopathic vaccines. In Canada, as in many other places, nosodes may be sold, with a warning label. As proponents of homeopathic remedies claimed they could provide a “natural” alternative to vaccines, Loeb led a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial to do a “head-to-head comparison” between homeopathic nosodes and conventional vaccines given to university students. The results, published in the journal Vaccine last November, found “absolutely no antibody response” to either the homeopathic remedies or placebos, compared to “a robust response to the vaccine,” Loeb said. “Health Canada needs to help reinforce that point by ceasing approval for homeopathic nosodes — not just warning people about them. They should not be sold. There’s no reason for these to remain on the market,” Loeb said.

Great Moments in Health and Science

The invention of kidney dialysis: Life-extending and life-saving, dialysis performs the job of the kidneys in removing toxins in people with kidney failure.