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Dr. Oz scolded over false ads

Dr. Mehmet Oz, the physician and day time talk show host, was questioned on the Consumer Protection panel where Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, scolded Dr. Oz…

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Dr. Mehmet Oz, the physician and day time talk show host, testified at a congressional hearing about the "miracle" weight loss products promoted on his show. 

The physician was questioned on the Consumer Protection panel where Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, scolded Dr. Oz for false advertisements and fake weight loss ads. 

"When you feature a product on your show, it creates what has been known as the 'Oz effect,' dramatically boosting sales and driving scam artists to pop-up over night using false and separate ads to sell questionable products," McCaskhill said. 

"I'm concerned you're using medical advice, news, and entertainment in a way that harms consumers."

The TV physician admitted to his "flowery" language regarding products. For example, he described green coffee bean extract as "miracles in a bottle" for weight loss on his show. During his testimony, Oz insists the only crime he committed was not telling his audience where to buy the products. 

"I wanted to stay above the fray and I felt in my own mind that If I talked about specific companies selling high quality products, it would seem like I was supporting those companies and so I never gave the audience an idea of where to go to buy the stuff. It opened up a huge market for folks to make stuff and use my name to try to sell." 

In May 2014, The Federal Trade Commission sued the Florida-based company, NPB Advertising for using fake news websites to market the dietary supplement, Pure Green Coffee, which made claims like "lose 20 pounds in 4 weeks." 

In its release, The FTC stated that weeks after the Dr. Oz Show touted green bean extract as "potent weight loss treatment that supposedly burns fat," the company began selling, charging about $50 for a one-month supply.

In a 2011 report, scientists conducted three clinical trials on Green Coffee Extract (GCE). 

A small number of participants lost five pounds on average, however, the trials were short term and researchers concluded that more rigorous and longer studies are needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of GCE as a weight loss supplement. 

 
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