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THE public is being bombarded daily with so-called health news and tips which have no scientific basis. This includes the use of pseudo-scientific terms which cannot be found in medical dictionaries, promotion of numerous products which have never been subjected to any laboratory toxic tests, or products whereby test results have not been published in any peer-reviewed journal. And yet, we are told these products are completely safe.
Many human conditions are being 'medicalised' so that companies can sell their products or make customers part with their money. These include everyday conditions like ageing, baldness, small breasts, small penis, shyness and acne.
Celebrity endorsements and participants who are paid various sums of money or given free products are commonplace. One example is the issue of weight. Obesity is a serious medical problem and studies in the United States show that obesity will be the No. 1 public health problem and cause of death in five years' time. It is not a cosmetic problem and weight management should be for life and not just for two to four weeks or just to fit into a Versace dress.
Whether someone will take the right actions to stay healthy depends on his health literacy and whether he listens to the right advice and not by reading fancy advertisements. As a prominent health correspondent in a British newspaper, The Independent, said: 'Advice from untrained people is the most dangerous drug on offer today. My advice for you is to take less advice.'
Prof Feng Pao Hsii
Emeritus Consultant
Department of Rheumatology
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Singapore
Adjunct Professor of Medicine
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
National University of Singapore
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