FSM News and Articles
Following a Channel 9 story on alt-health products that fail safety standards, Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has hit back. They called the story “false and malicious” and “evil-intentioned”. In social media, CMA has been crowing that FSM fell for “fake news”. They also stated that the products were not on the market, having been withdrawn years earlier. They even went so far as to claim for Caruso’s Natural Health FAT AWAY “This product never existed and is a total fabrication.“
This is disingenuous. All three products are PUBLICLY listed by the TGA as having been tested and FAILED for prohibited substances. These test results are dated to May 2019. While the products might not have all been on the market, they were being brought forward by their product sponsors, who then had to cancel their entry to the ARTG. So while CMA plays the victim and makes claims of “FAKE NEWS”, before they accuse all parties of malice and dishonesty, perhaps they would like to explain how product that ‘does not exist’ so recently failed the TGA tests?
The CMA post is here:
Channel ‘s spurious attack on Australian complementary brands – the industry demands a retraction, correction, apology and legal action
TGA link is here:
Database of TGA laboratory testing results- Important information on the Database of TGA Laboratory testing results:
Summary:
Testing category: Programmed; Product type: Complementary medicines; Release date: May 2019
Burn with Svetol
ARTG ID: 198697
Sponsor: Herbs of Gold Pty Ltd
Reason for testing: Survey of a Medicine/Device Group
Result: FAIL: Prohibited Substance Detected
Outcome: The Sponsor has CANCELLED the entry from the ARTG.
Product type: Complementary Medicines
Nature’s Way Metabolift Fat Burner
ARTG ID: 179535
Sponsor: Pharmacare Laboratories Pty Ltd
Reason for testing: Survey of a Medicine/Device Group
Result: FAIL: Prohibited Substance Detected
Outcome: The Sponsor has CANCELLED the entry from the ARTG.
Product type: Complementary Medicines
Fat Away
ARTG ID: 198892
Sponsor: Caruso’s Natural Health Pty Ltd
Reason for testing: Survey of a Medicine/Device Group
Result: FAIL: Prohibited Substance Detected
Outcome: The Sponsor has CANCELLED the entry from the ARTG.
Product type: Complementary Medicines
Friends’ News and Articles
You’ve done a detox. Now what? “Detox is a legitimate medical term that has been co-opted to promote products that don’t actually remove toxins. What’s being promoted commercially as “detox” is little different than eons-old religious rituals of cleansing and purification. Framing detoxification in religious terms won’t have the appeal in a world where science is king. So use the word “toxin”, not sin, and call the ritual a “detox” – and suddenly the program has a veneer of what sounds scientific. “
Moxibustion: Moxibustion is the burning of mugwort close to, or sometimes into, the skin. Does it work? No. Why do people use it? Because it’s old.
General
Let babies be in charge of how much they eat – it could help them stay a healthy weight: Interesting topic! “Research examining this so far has been mixed. But in our new study of 269 babies, we found that when babies were breastfed, there was no difference in weight for those who were spoon-fed or self-fed. But when babies were bottle fed, those who were spoon-fed were heavier than those who self-fed. This is potentially because as long as babies have some opportunity to be “in charge” of how much they eat, they may be better able to eat according to what they need rather than how much food a caregiver might encourage them to eat.”
Here’s the science on how serious the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak actually is: Coronavirus looks to be about as transmissible as influenza, and mortality rates are estimated to be under 5%. Some media reports seem to be blowing this out of proportion (flu has killed over 8000 people in the last year in the US alone). However, we have fewer effective strategies against coronavirus than influenza. It is important to be vigilant especially if you have traveled through areas affected by coronovirus.
Great Moments in Health and Science
History of Viruses: Viruses are not truly living creatures, but are able to use living cells for their own replication. By discovering the existence of pathogens too small to see without special microscopes, the pathway was paved for modern treatments.
Today’s Abused Health Concept
Documentaries – Think Goop is bad? It’s only the tip of Netflix’s pseudoscience iceberg: Netflix seems to have a pile of pseudoscience documentaries and docu-series and GOOP is the latest to add to the pile. In general, documentaries can really test one’s critical thinking skills because they tell stories, and humans tend to be socially biased to find this format of information convincing. This also tends to lead to the journalistic fallacy, where the quotes included, and the factoids presents are selected to tell the story rather than to examine the evidence. This is particularly true when one looks at activist-based doco’s such as vegan documentaries. Often the emotions portrayed or implied claims are employed to be convincing rather than the actual data.
So when you watch documentaries, particularly ones about health, ask yourself:
• what was it that actually affected your opinion?
• what evidence was actually presented?
• what could I check to falsify that message?
• how well does this align with scientific consensus?