Thank you for debunking Dr. Grundy. I 'm not a physician but I was a medical technologist for many years before changing to a different field. I detest physician peddling snake oil! BS is an effective word. Another would be hogwash (a little old fashion with a nice punch) or baloney.
I thoroughly enjoy your musings on many subjects and have learned much from your medical related articles. In fact, I began taking statins after reading everything you have written about them. You have a talent for cutting through the BS and translating medical speak to plain English.
Would you please share your opinion about Ben Bikman and his book “Why we get sick”?
"He had aa talent for cutting through the BS and translating medical speak to plain English"
As to Bikman, I haven't read his book, but I know he is a low carb "believer." As described by a fellow low carber, "he believes wholeheartedly in a low carb diet. He lives it, he studies it and he educates physicians about it ". He's also selling nutritional shakes and supplements (HLTH).
I prefer scientific experts who are not wedded to a belief system and who are not benefiting from selling supplements.
OK, but "manure" may be a better word. It is commonly used as compost to grow things. I this context is feeds to pseudoscience-follower-pseudo-health promoters ;)
Always saddened to read about Dr. Gundry. 40 years ago, at the start of our careers, I worked with him in the same academic hospital, and Iknew him to be a fine surgeon and also a very nice, affable guy. If I met him again now, I wouldn't know what to say to him.
More recently, a referring physician who sent her patients to me (I am a cardiologist), recommended Dr. Gundry's plan and supplements to her patients. It was part of her standard boilerplate for every visit (thank you EHR). I sent her a back channel message explaining that there was no validity to his claims, but she did not alter her recommendations :(
Reading some of the other comments, I thought about the manner in which others with my Cuban heritage deal with this topic. We convey the evaluation with more gusto by saying "come mierda". You can hear it said in this link - https://www.spanishdict.com/pronunciation/come%20mierda with less intensity than when I decide to use it.
I thought I only saw mierda. You're good. Hope you have some Cuban friends that can help with the proper inflection. Some hand gestures when saying it are also appropriate.
I find absolutely no objection to describing somethings as BS, whenever it is deemed appropriate by the person who is frustrated enough by what is read or heard to proclaim what it is. I would only be concerned about what the community of bulls thinks about why their shit was chosen for this term. A future second option might be horseshit unless the horses are upset. We can agree that horseshit is certainly more prevalent than bullshit.
I recently became aware of the Trust Project (TP) - https://thetrustproject.org/ The T symbol appeared on some articles in a local newspaper. I thinks it is convenient to proclaim that you, as a responsible physician, who must abide my one or more code of ethics whenever you offer opinions, also respect the 8 trust indicators of TP. And if anyone takes exception to your opinion, it is appropriate to ask in return if there was any consideration by the BS guilty party if they adhere to any of the TP indicators. I hope to see more BS expressions in future posts.
I have encountered quite a bit of horseshit while hiking in national parks. Much more than bullshit I suspect. If a bull is an uncastrated male cow and therefore a more aggressive, muscular animal, perhaps that explains why BS is preferred over HS
I respect the 8 trust indicators of the trust project but fail on the "Diverse Voices" parameter as I am the only author..
I highly recommend the book Calling Bullshit by Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West (both data scientists at the University of Washington). I assign it in my Quantitative Methods course and it is a great catalogue of ways to detect bullshit.
I will check that out. I like their bullshit definition
"Bullshit is language, statistical figures, data graphics, and other forms of presentation intended to persuade by impressing and overwhelming a reader or listener, with a blatant disregard for truth and logical coherence.
I see his little noxious face appearing by pictures of blueberries and other forbidden foods warning people not to eat this or that. I puts himself out as the great Oz of health knowledge and only through him and his snake oils will you ever survive. A total money grubbing creep.
Loved that you had avoided using BS to qualify these para-scientific BS claims. My last post was supposed to be titled The Bullshit Experience, but I thought it might be offensive and diverting attention from the actual topic. So, I found another more neutral tone title.
Here’s the post you tell me if the former title was appropriate
I self diagnosed AFib during the pandemic but had to buy 2 EKGs to capture it in action before my cardiologist would even listen. He insisted it was anxiety & prescribed Valium….as if. Apparently, it’s paroxysmal A Fib. Thankfully I now have a really great cardiologist. You rarely post anything about the trouble women experience in being believed by doctors and obtaining meaningful treatment. 🥺
Thank you for debunking Dr. Grundy. I 'm not a physician but I was a medical technologist for many years before changing to a different field. I detest physician peddling snake oil! BS is an effective word. Another would be hogwash (a little old fashion with a nice punch) or baloney.
I thoroughly enjoy your musings on many subjects and have learned much from your medical related articles. In fact, I began taking statins after reading everything you have written about them. You have a talent for cutting through the BS and translating medical speak to plain English.
Would you please share your opinion about Ben Bikman and his book “Why we get sick”?
Thank you
George Belflower
Thank you!
Another epigraph for my tombstone:
"He had aa talent for cutting through the BS and translating medical speak to plain English"
As to Bikman, I haven't read his book, but I know he is a low carb "believer." As described by a fellow low carber, "he believes wholeheartedly in a low carb diet. He lives it, he studies it and he educates physicians about it ". He's also selling nutritional shakes and supplements (HLTH).
I prefer scientific experts who are not wedded to a belief system and who are not benefiting from selling supplements.
The reasonably balanced Red Pen Reviews gives his book low marks https://www.redpenreviews.org/reviews/why-we-get-sick/
How about “distortionists”?
OK, but "manure" may be a better word. It is commonly used as compost to grow things. I this context is feeds to pseudoscience-follower-pseudo-health promoters ;)
Always saddened to read about Dr. Gundry. 40 years ago, at the start of our careers, I worked with him in the same academic hospital, and Iknew him to be a fine surgeon and also a very nice, affable guy. If I met him again now, I wouldn't know what to say to him.
More recently, a referring physician who sent her patients to me (I am a cardiologist), recommended Dr. Gundry's plan and supplements to her patients. It was part of her standard boilerplate for every visit (thank you EHR). I sent her a back channel message explaining that there was no validity to his claims, but she did not alter her recommendations :(
Reading some of the other comments, I thought about the manner in which others with my Cuban heritage deal with this topic. We convey the evaluation with more gusto by saying "come mierda". You can hear it said in this link - https://www.spanishdict.com/pronunciation/come%20mierda with less intensity than when I decide to use it.
Thank you. I've added come mierda to my (very limited) Spanish vocabulary!
You need to use both words to correctly convey your emotional reaction.
I thought I only saw mierda. You're good. Hope you have some Cuban friends that can help with the proper inflection. Some hand gestures when saying it are also appropriate.
You can also say "no seas come mierda" when you want to give advice.
Ricardo, por favor no hables tan bruto. Esas palabras evocan nausea.
I find absolutely no objection to describing somethings as BS, whenever it is deemed appropriate by the person who is frustrated enough by what is read or heard to proclaim what it is. I would only be concerned about what the community of bulls thinks about why their shit was chosen for this term. A future second option might be horseshit unless the horses are upset. We can agree that horseshit is certainly more prevalent than bullshit.
I recently became aware of the Trust Project (TP) - https://thetrustproject.org/ The T symbol appeared on some articles in a local newspaper. I thinks it is convenient to proclaim that you, as a responsible physician, who must abide my one or more code of ethics whenever you offer opinions, also respect the 8 trust indicators of TP. And if anyone takes exception to your opinion, it is appropriate to ask in return if there was any consideration by the BS guilty party if they adhere to any of the TP indicators. I hope to see more BS expressions in future posts.
I have encountered quite a bit of horseshit while hiking in national parks. Much more than bullshit I suspect. If a bull is an uncastrated male cow and therefore a more aggressive, muscular animal, perhaps that explains why BS is preferred over HS
I respect the 8 trust indicators of the trust project but fail on the "Diverse Voices" parameter as I am the only author..
To sum up , in the words. of Joseph Conrad , "Words, as everyone knows, are the greatest foes of reality".
I highly recommend the book Calling Bullshit by Carl Bergstrom and Jevin West (both data scientists at the University of Washington). I assign it in my Quantitative Methods course and it is a great catalogue of ways to detect bullshit.
I will check that out. I like their bullshit definition
"Bullshit is language, statistical figures, data graphics, and other forms of presentation intended to persuade by impressing and overwhelming a reader or listener, with a blatant disregard for truth and logical coherence.
"
I see his little noxious face appearing by pictures of blueberries and other forbidden foods warning people not to eat this or that. I puts himself out as the great Oz of health knowledge and only through him and his snake oils will you ever survive. A total money grubbing creep.
Exactly. And for some reason when I was on X, his blueberry hating face was all over my feed.
Loved that you had avoided using BS to qualify these para-scientific BS claims. My last post was supposed to be titled The Bullshit Experience, but I thought it might be offensive and diverting attention from the actual topic. So, I found another more neutral tone title.
Here’s the post you tell me if the former title was appropriate
https://open.substack.com/pub/thethoughtfulintensivist/p/nonsense-xp?r=20qrtz&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Where is the list?
Use descriptors of where they are wrong and why, not labels
I self diagnosed AFib during the pandemic but had to buy 2 EKGs to capture it in action before my cardiologist would even listen. He insisted it was anxiety & prescribed Valium….as if. Apparently, it’s paroxysmal A Fib. Thankfully I now have a really great cardiologist. You rarely post anything about the trouble women experience in being believed by doctors and obtaining meaningful treatment. 🥺
Ashih Jha
Biggest quack I can think of is “Dr.” Oz. He’s always pushing some cure only he knows about.
Darn--ANOTHER cardiothoracic surgeon!!