https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/unwell-...s-science/
INTRO (Harriet Hall): Netflix recently produced a reprehensible documentary series on “The Goop Lab”. It amounted to an advertisement for Gwyneth Paltrow’s unscientific approach to wellness and a paean to gullibility. It takes on psychedelic mushrooms, breathing techniques to develop cold tolerance, achieving orgasm, anti-aging claims, energy healing, and intuition (including communicating with the dead). All are presented in a “gee whiz” fashion with no discussion of actual evidence and no input from skeptics.
When I heard that another new Netflix documentary, (Un)Well would feature both pros and cons for various alternative medicine modalities, I hoped for something more balanced. As I watched it, my hopes were promptly crushed. I’m sure they meant well, and they made an effort to follow the journalistic mantra of fairly presenting both sides of controversial issues, but they failed miserably.
[...] The “evidence” for health and healing is purely anecdotal, presented by credulous patients and practitioners, often charismatic individuals whose beliefs are presented through emotional stories that tug at the heartstrings. These hopeful stories alternate with more sober statements by experts saying that the evidence for effectiveness just isn’t there and the treatments are often harmful, but these segments are shorter and mostly presented by less charismatic individuals. I think the average viewer is likely to remember the enthusiasm of the believers, discount the warnings, and want to try the treatment for themselves, “just in case”.
[...] they took on these topics: Essential oils; Tantric sex; Adults drinking breast milk; Fasting; Ayahuasca; Bee sting therapy. I find their selection of topics irrational and bizarre. I can’t help but wonder how they chose them. In the first place, is there really a controversy between anecdotal reports and rigorous scientific studies? If so, it’s only in the public imagination. ... I’m going to cover Episode 1 on essential oils in detail to give you a feel for their approach, and then I will offer briefer comments on the other five episodes... (MORE - details)
INTRO (Harriet Hall): Netflix recently produced a reprehensible documentary series on “The Goop Lab”. It amounted to an advertisement for Gwyneth Paltrow’s unscientific approach to wellness and a paean to gullibility. It takes on psychedelic mushrooms, breathing techniques to develop cold tolerance, achieving orgasm, anti-aging claims, energy healing, and intuition (including communicating with the dead). All are presented in a “gee whiz” fashion with no discussion of actual evidence and no input from skeptics.
When I heard that another new Netflix documentary, (Un)Well would feature both pros and cons for various alternative medicine modalities, I hoped for something more balanced. As I watched it, my hopes were promptly crushed. I’m sure they meant well, and they made an effort to follow the journalistic mantra of fairly presenting both sides of controversial issues, but they failed miserably.
[...] The “evidence” for health and healing is purely anecdotal, presented by credulous patients and practitioners, often charismatic individuals whose beliefs are presented through emotional stories that tug at the heartstrings. These hopeful stories alternate with more sober statements by experts saying that the evidence for effectiveness just isn’t there and the treatments are often harmful, but these segments are shorter and mostly presented by less charismatic individuals. I think the average viewer is likely to remember the enthusiasm of the believers, discount the warnings, and want to try the treatment for themselves, “just in case”.
[...] they took on these topics: Essential oils; Tantric sex; Adults drinking breast milk; Fasting; Ayahuasca; Bee sting therapy. I find their selection of topics irrational and bizarre. I can’t help but wonder how they chose them. In the first place, is there really a controversy between anecdotal reports and rigorous scientific studies? If so, it’s only in the public imagination. ... I’m going to cover Episode 1 on essential oils in detail to give you a feel for their approach, and then I will offer briefer comments on the other five episodes... (MORE - details)