Can you trust the advice of TV doctors?

In December 2014, the British Medical Journal published research reviewing the accuracy of medical information provided on The Doctor Oz Show and The Doctors. The researchers concluded that:

• Recommendations made on medical talk shows often lack adequate informationon specific benefits (of treatments) or the magnitude of benefits.

• Approximately half of the recommendations have either no evidence or are contradicted by the best available evidence.

• Conflicts of interest (by the hosts) are rarely addressed.

• The public should be skeptical about recommendations made on medical talk shows.

Also, in June 2014, a US Senate subcommittee investigated Dr. Oz for telling his viewers things like: "I've got the No. 1 miracle in a bottle to burn your fat. It's raspberry ketones." and "Scientists have found a magic weight loss cure ... green coffee extract."

"I don't get why you need to say this stuff because you know it's not true," Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said during the hearing.