Hype by Nina Shapiro, M.D.

Let me ask you a question. When you need to have information about your health do you first go to your primary doctor or do you go to the Internet? Who do you trust? Your doctor of the article you Googled?

The answer is obvious. But how many of us are guilty of putting our health in the hands of someone or something that offers us bad advice?

Or how many of us believe the ads we see as being 100% accurate? Too many of us.

Misinformation is all around us. Fortified foods, enhancement drinks, supplements, the list goes on.

Dr. Shapiro offers us a guide to help us venture through the jungle of exaggerated claims and bad advice. She will show you how to discern what’s real and what is not.

For me this is an interesting and informative book. Shapiro doesn’t speak down to you but starts to make you think just how much of what you are accepting as tested claims are really backed by facts. For example, organic being better is a claim you hear. There is no foundation of truth to that. The claim helps the industry justify the bigger price in most instances. It is hype. Another hype is about water. No improvement over tap water.

The problem seems to be around medicine there is no black or white but rather lots of sound data to allow you to make the best decision. The internet offers a smorgasbord of information especially when it comes to medical information. Most of what you find in your search will be ads. This helps the hype. They are your snake oil companies, so to speak. You need to find the information that is out there.

You need help and this book I do recommend. The notes are helpful.

It is published by St Martin’s Press.