When health media meets the evidence: what Dr. Oz, Goop and Belle Gibson teach about health claims

Health media reaches more people than any clinic. Most of the time that's good. But three well-documented cases show what happens when popularity outruns evidence — and they give readers a simple set of checks to run on any health claim, including the ones we cover.

The TV show: counting the evidence

In December 2014, researchers led by Christina Korownyk published a study in The BMJ that checked 80 randomly selected recommendations from The Dr. Oz Show against the medical literature. Evidence supported 46% of them, contradicted 15%, and none could be found for 39%. When they weighed evidence quality, believable or somewhat believable evidence supported 33%. Potential conflicts of interest were disclosed for 0.4% of recommendations across the shows studied (Korownyk et al., BMJ 2014).

Six months earlier, on June 17, 2014, a U.S. Senate consumer protection subcommittee had questioned Dr. Oz about weight-loss products he had called "miracles." Subcommittee chair Claire McCaskill told him the scientific community was "almost monolithic" against him on their efficacy; he replied that he saw his role as "a cheerleader for the audience" (CBS News).

The lifestyle brand: claims meet consumer law

In September 2018, Goop agreed to pay $145,000 in civil penalties to settle a consumer-protection case brought by California district attorneys. Prosecutors said the company had made claims — such as balancing hormones and preventing uterine prolapse — for its jade and rose quartz eggs that weren't backed by competent and reliable science. Goop agreed to offer refunds, said it disagreed with the claims and admitted no wrongdoing (NPR).

The influencer: a story that wasn't true

Belle Gibson built a large following and an app on her account of curing terminal brain cancer through diet and alternative therapies. She never had the disease. In September 2017, Australia's Federal Court ordered her to pay AU$410,000 in penalties for misleading conduct, including false claims about donating profits to charity (ABC News). Consumer Affairs Victoria says it is still pursuing the unpaid penalty (SBS). Her story was dramatized in the 2025 Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar.

Five questions to ask any health claim

1. Who studied it, and in whom? Cells, mice and a handful of volunteers aren't people like you.
2. Compared with what? "Improved" means little without a control group.
3. How big was the effect? Look for numbers, not adjectives like "miracle."
4. Who benefits if you believe it? Check for undisclosed products, affiliate links or sponsorships.
5. Has anyone checked? Regulators, courts and systematic reviews are slower than social media, but they're usually right about who has evidence.

We hold our own coverage to the same test. Read our editorial standards.