Posts Tagged ‘miracle drugs’
Skepticism: The Best Remedy for Miracle Cures
February 26th, 2010
by Lisa
One of my funniest memories of my dad is how he would frequently have me pick up a bottle of turpentine when I did his shopping. After ruling out the possibility that he was opening a hardware store or polishing an entire log cabin, I finally asked what the heck he was doing with that stuff. Turns out he used it for “Old Arthur,” his nickname for arthritis. Whatever turpentine’s imagined or real effect, Pop was convinced it did the trick.
As a city girl with country roots, I’ve heard of (and laughed at) lots of other outlandish home remedies and “miracle cures” for almost anything — from headaches to diabetes. And although I pressed my dad to put down the polish and see his doctor, it’s sometimes hard for me to ignore the ads for powders, pills and potions that are “guaranteed” to burn my stubborn belly fat or give me 48 hours of energy for my 18-hour day.
But, too often, these products are not effective, rob consumers (despite meaningless money-back guarantees) and, most tragically, can deceive consumers into forgoing proper medical treatment for life-threatening conditions. What’s more, they may interact dangerously with medicines that someone is already taking.
The FTC’s Health page includes red flags to look for and other advice to consider before purchasing health products. The site also tells consumers how they can file a complaint if they’ve been taken in by a company selling phony products.
If I didn’t inherit (all of) my dad’s eccentricities, thank goodness I have his sense of frugality. So “four easy payments of $59.99” is enough to turn me off. If you know someone who’s not as skeptical or cheap, pass this along. You might save their health (or, at least, a few hundred bucks.)
Tags: arthritis, diabetes, diet, infomercials, lose weight, marketing, miracle drugs, remedies, weight loss
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