Dr. Oz is inexplicably becoming a leading voice in the publics defense against the coronavirus.
While his health advice is pretty standard, it seems were forgetting an important lesson here. It might be time to stop taking advice from entertainers.
Dr. Oz is indeed a doctor. He specializes in thoracic surgery. Thoracic surgeons generally address issues of the heart and lungs, which can be affected by the coronavirus. But hes giving advice on how to protect yourself against the spread of the virus. This is not his specialty.
It doesnt appear as though hes given any advice outside of mainstream acceptance. In other words, Dr. Oz is not offering any new input; hes just trying to get a little bump in popularity during the coronavirus panic.
At this point, hes an entertainer first and foremost, and hes likely making his decisions with his Hollywood career in mind. Havent we already learned that entertainers dont make the best leaders?
Dr. Oz has a laundry list of questionable health tips. Hes a suspected anti-vaxxer who once claimed that green bean extract was a magic weight-loss cure. Oz once told us to brush our teeth with strawberries to help whiten them. Researchers at the University of Iowa later showed us that this combination did nearly nothing at all.
In 2014, members of the U.S. senate scolded him for this green bean extract claims. Dr. Oz came clean:
Theres not a pill thats going to help you long term lose weight without diet and exercise.
In 2015, at least one thousand doctors called for his resignation from Columbia University.
Is this really the man we should be following?
Oz recently released his coronavirus survival protocol. It contains much of the standard information: wash your hands, stop touching your face, stock up on supplies, etc. Of course, he adds a few new-age tips like meditation and elderberry syrup.
While most of these tips are likely either helpful or harmless, we have to be discerning with our trust. Were vulnerable when were afraid.
Over the coming months, people might try to convince us to buy all kinds of super-immunity boosters that will destroy the virus. These miracle cures will probably be about as useful as green bean extract was for weight loss. To help us avoid the sway of opportunistic charlatans, heres a guide for surviving the advice of unqualified people like Dr. Oz:
We can come out of this coronavirus panic without losing our wits. Lets see if Dr. Oz can do the same.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.
This article was edited by Josiah Wilmoth.
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Were All Screwed If Dr. Oz is the New Coronavirus Expert - CCN.com
