Hawaii Public Radio is not Worthy of Your Pledge

This continues a discussion started here: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6428282971150371816#editor/target=post;postID=3049990968625625546;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=3;src=postname
When Dr. Kathleen Kozak, MD, stopped regularly hosting naturopath Diana Ostroff on her radio show and letting her run her scams unchallenged, I was optimistic that Kozak had finally done her homework and responded to a barrage of criticism from medical doctors and from myself. I was wrong.

I now suspect that Ostroff herself ended her appearances on Kozak’s show because she was drawing too much heat. When using fraudulent diagnostic and therapeutic methods a certain amount of discretion is essential. If you already have enough pigeons to fry there’s no point advertising for more and drawing attention to yourself.

 On June 13 Kozak hosted a different naturopath and she once again displayed her abysmal ignorance, dishonesty, irresponsibility, and wanton violation of ethical principles both as a physician and as a broadcaster. Here are some examples.

Dr. Kozak introduced the naturopath as, and repeatedly called him, “a naturopathic medical doctor.” But there is no such thing. Naturopaths append “ND” to their names, not “NMD.” He never corrected her. It is surprising that someone so enamored with naturopathy does not know what its practitioners are called.

Naturopaths love anecdotes and Kozak’s guest told about a woman who, he said, suffered from hypothyroidism and fatigue. He treated her with thyroxine, which is what a medical doctor would do if the hypothyroidism were confirmed by a blood test. That is the standard treatment for most cases. But, typically, the ND added a bunch of unnecessary and potentially dangerous nostrums such as testosterone, progesterone, and intravenous vitamins and amino acids.

There is almost never a reason to give nutrients (other than saline) intravenously, but Kozak, typically, did not ask what benefit they or the sex hormones provided. Nor did she ask whether such treatments have been written up in peer-reviewed journals. Instead, her attitude was like that of young Tommy listening to Mr. Science explain some wonder of the world. Gosh, Mr. Science, what healing miracle will naturopaths come up with next?

Then Kozak let the ND run the tired old candida scam, which involves tricking people into believing they have a disease that doesn’t really exist, then selling them all kinds of nostrums to cure it. She didn’t have a single skeptical or intelligent comment or question about this nonsense, so it came as no surprise when she let him promote his bogus stem-cell therapy for chronic back pain. She didn’t tell her audience that there is no good evidence for the expensive treatment and that it’s not FDA approved.

The ND described another preposterous treatment he uses for chronic pain. He injects homeopathic solutions into acupuncture points. Homeopathy is 100% quackery and acupuncture is 98% quackery. But Kozak is NAV-positive (new-age virus positive), which causes serious brain damage, and she seems to have lost all capacity for critical thinking. She expressed no skepticism whatsoever. Like so many of her shows, this one could have been a paid infomercial. Kozak is more a propagandist for nonsense than a medical reporter or educator.

To repeat what I said in the previous blog post, naturopathy, like tobacco, is hazardous to your health when used as directed. Its standard of care necessarily results in bad medicine and malpractice. It is irresponsible, unethical and dishonest of Kozak to promote it to trusting listeners. Since she can’t think of intelligent questions to ask, at the very least she should host knowledgeable critics and accept calls from skeptics who disagree with NDs.

And, also to repeat, it is intolerable that HPR's only show relating to health and medicine should be largely dedicated to the uncritical promotion of misinformation, quackery and fraud while it withholds crucial information. It is irresponsible, unreasonable and unethical by any standard, and it is in gross violation of the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists. It is also in violation of HPR’s mandate and mission as most people understand them.

 Kozak should answer the questions I posed in this post: http://nogivetohawaiipublicradio.blogspot.com/2016/02/hmsa-also-gets-cozier-with-quacks-aids.html

 Or she should host a debate between an ND and a critic. But I know she won’t, so I renew and continue my call for rational people, especially health care and education professionals, to protest rather than pledge.

Links to all my blogs: www.KurtButlerBlogs.blogspot.com. 

For more detailed critiques of various forms of quackery, including naturopathy, see my book A Consumer’s Guide to “Alternative Medicine”. It was expertly edited by legendary quack buster Stephen Barrett, MD.  The critics say:

"Superb!" -- Dr. Victor Herbert in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Excellent" -- National Council Against Health Fraud.

"Five Stars" -- Cooking Light.

"Thought provoking; a great book" -- American Journal of Health Promotion.  

When the book was published almost 30 years ago it was strongly praised by responsible health experts and the rare responsible media, but trashed by new-age critics and even vandalized in bookstores by new-age fanatics. It is as true and relevant as ever, and has been mostly vindicated by time. Yet my courageous and far-sighted publisher, the venerable Prometheus Books, is still sitting on lots of copies. Please help validate their integrity by buying a copy. Or two or more as gifts. Perhaps 10 for your local school library and health classes. See their website for assorted discounts. Make them an offer. (My royalties are insignificant; this little promo is for the benefit of one of the world's great publishers, Prometheus Books.) 

Maui's future foretold: Barbarians In Paradise -- Terror Comes to Maui. This is a prophetic flash novel about a future police state and those who rebel against it. Available in paperback and ebook at Amazon.com.