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Quackery: Spotting Health Scams You see the
ads everywhere these days — “Smart Drugs for Long Life” or
“Arthritis Aches and Pains Disappear Like Magic!” or even testimonials
claiming, “This treatment cured my cancer in one week.” It’s easy to
understand the appeal of these promises. But there is still plenty of
truth to the old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably
is!” Quacks — people who sell unproven remedies — have been
around for years. Today they have more ways than ever to peddle their
wares. In addition to TV, radio, magazines, newspapers, infomercials,
mail, and even word-of-mouth, they now can use the internet — websites
offer miracle cures; emails tell stories of overnight magic. Sadly, older
people are often the target for such scams. In fact, a government study
found that most victims of health care fraud are over age 65. The problem is serious. Unproven remedies may be harmful. They
may also waste money. And, sometimes, using these remedies keeps people
from getting the medical treatment they need. What
Do Quacks Promise? Unproven
remedies promise false hope. Often they offer cures that are painless or
quick. Why do people fall for these sales pitches? After all, at best
these treatments are worthless. At worst, they are dangerous. One reason
health care scams work is that they prey on people who are frightened or
in pain. Living with a chronic health problem is hard. It’s easy to see
why people might fall for a false promise of a quick and painless cure. You may see unproven remedies in products for: Anti-Aging.
Claims for pills or treatments that lead to eternal youth play on the
great value our culture places on staying young. But, aging is normal. A
product may smooth your wrinkles, but no treatments have yet been proven
to slow the aging process. Eating a healthy diet, getting regular
exercise, and not smoking are your best bets to help prevent some of the
diseases that occur more often with age. In other words, making healthy
lifestyle choices can increase your chances of aging well. Arthritis Remedies.
Unproven arthritis remedies can be easy to fall for because symptoms of
arthritis tend to come and go. You may believe the remedy you are using is
making you feel better when, in fact, it is just the normal ebb and flow
of your symptoms. You may see claims that so-called treatments with herbs,
oils, chemicals, special diets, radiation, and other products cured
arthritis. This is highly unlikely. Individual testimonials alone do not
guarantee that a product is effective. Instead, scientific studies proving
that a treatment works are needed. While these products may not hurt you,
they are costly and aren’t likely to help much either. There is no cure
for most forms of arthritis, but rest, exercise, heat, and drugs can help
many people control their symptoms. If you are thinking about a new
treatment, talk with your doctor first. Cancer Cures.
Quacks prey on people’s fear of cancer. They promote treatments with no
proven value — for example, a diet dangerously low in protein or drugs
such as Laetrile. Memory Aids. Many
people worry about losing their memory as they age. They may wrongly
believe false promises that unproven treatments can help them keep or
improve How
Can You Protect Yourself From Health Scams? Be
wary. Question what you see or hear in ads or on the internet. Newspapers,
magazines, radio, and TV stations do not always check to make sure the
claims in their ads are true. Find out about a product before you buy.
Don’t let a sales person force you to make a snap decision. Check with
your doctor first. Remember stories about the old snake oil salesman who traveled
from town to town making claims for his fabulous product? Well, chances
are today’s quack is using the same sales tricks. Look for red flags in
ads or promotional material that: $
Promise a quick or
painless cure, $
Claim to be made from
a special, secret, or ancient formula — often only available by mail or
from one sponsor, $
Use testimonials or
undocumented case histories from satisfied patients, $
Claim to be effective
for a wide range of ailments, $
Claim to cure a
disease (such as arthritis or cancer) that is not yet understood by
medical science, $
Offer an additional
“free” gift or a larger amount of the product as a “special
promotion,” or $
Require advance
payment and claim limited availability of the product. Resources
If you have
questions about a product, talk to your doctor or contact one of the
organizations below. Get the facts about health products and protect
yourself from health National
Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Information Service (CIS) National
Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NIAMS) Council of
Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) U.S.
Postal Inspection Service (USPS) Quackwatch,
Inc. The National
Institute on Aging offers a variety of information on health and aging.
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