Half Of Americans Believe In Medical Conspiracy Theories

[Num7]

Misinformation about health remains widespread and popular.

Half of Americans subscribe to medical conspiracy theories, with more than one-third of people thinking that the Food and Drug Administration is deliberately keeping natural cures for cancer off the market because of pressure from drug companies, a survey finds.

Twenty percent of people said that cellphones cause cancer — and that large corporations are keeping health officials from doing anything about it. And another 20 percent think doctors and the government want to vaccinate children despite knowing that vaccines cause autism.

"One of the things that struck us is that people who embrace these beliefs are not less health conscious," says Eric Oliver, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago who led the study. "They're just less likely to embrace traditional medicine."

Oliver was studying political conspiracy theories when he realized that quite a few of them involved medical care, including vaccine avoidance and a vote rejecting water fluoridation in Portland, Ore.

So he asked people what they thought about six common medical conspiracy theories, including the ones about vaccines, cellphones and natural cancer cures. They were the theories most widely supported.

Read more:
Half Of Americans Believe In Medical Conspiracy Theories : Shots - Health News : NPR

 

[Num7]

I know that quite a few people on here are interested by all kind of natural cures, among other things. The kind of cures that the government and healthcare system will tend to always dismiss and debunk as much as they can. 1/3 of people thinking they are hiding something. That's a lot of people.

 

[C_jami]

What I would be worried is the problem with fake pills and vaccines. Same like drugs smuggling there is fake medicine smuggling and this gets to pharmacies and hospitals. Is very dangerous because if you imagine a person who have diabetes and he need to take a specific treatment then he get this fake one what only contains maybe 30% of the real treatment.

 

[C_jami]

Counterfeit medications - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[TroubledAura]

Myself, I try not to take any medicine. Now don't get me wrong, if I have sinus infection etc...I will take antibiotics.

My problem here in the states is they have these advertisements all over the TV for this, for that and everything in between! But by the end of the commercial your so astounded by the possible side effects part that, for me anyway, it scares me away immediately, I mean come on the side effects sound as though they will kill you before the disease will.

 

[owlcool]

Half of Americans reject Evolution for a Religious explanation, such as Young Earth Creationism.
I am willing to wager these are the same people.

 

[Poison Pen]

It's called "Big Pharma"......

 

[PaulaJedi]

Money, corporations and the "Big Pharma" are a problem, yes, but they don't make the science and real medical advances less legitimate. The costs are totally outrageous, but the cures work. I'm proof. I believe the conspiracy is about the money and the costs, not the actual treatments. I believe in modern medicine.

 

[owlcool]

Money, corporations and the "Big Pharma" are a problem, yes, but they don't make the science and real medical advances less legitimate. The costs are totally outrageous, but the cures work. I'm proof. I believe the conspiracy is about the money and the costs, not the actual treatments. I believe in modern medicine.

Well yeah, that is called Capitalism not conspiracy.