Dr. Mehmet Oz had a Twitter disaster Tuesday when he asked users to ask him their medical questions only to receive accusations of fraud.
What is your biggest question for me? Reply with #OzsInbox and I'll answer my favorites on http://t.co/8kjmALRoAd.— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) November 11, 2014
The responses poured in to the TV doctor with the hashtag #OzsInbox and were peppered with sarcastic medical questions and claims of fear-mongering in order to boost his product sales. Many of the criticism came from fellow doctors on Twitter.
#OzsInbox I just got my flu shot, when can I expect to develop autism?— Ryen Smorczewski (@Smorz7IU) November 12, 2014
I have heard a bed of money from kickbacks for promoting fake diet products is rather uncomfortable, so how DO you sleep at night? #OzsInbox— Dane Rauschenberg (@SeeDaneRun) November 13, 2014
#OzsInbox Purely hypothetically, what are the ethical implications of an MD using his position to sell all manner of quack cures on TV?— David Beffert (@dbeffert) November 13, 2014
#OzsInbox I have heard you wear silk scrubs. Is that true? If so, how do they feel gently caressing your engorged ego? @DrOz— Mark Ryan (@RichmondDoc) November 13, 2014
Considering there are so many weight loss miracles should nutrition be a religion instead of a science? #OzsInbox— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) November 13, 2014
#OzsInbox how do I vaccinate my kids against people who watch your show read your magazine and repeat your advice? Double GMO gluten burger?— Cameron Turner (@CamTurner) November 13, 2014
Oz's "miracle" solutions to weight loss have come under intense scrutiny to the point where he was asked to testify as to why his pills did not work on many people in a congressional hearing.
"I don't get why you need to say this stuff, because you know it's not true," Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said at the hearing.
Shortly after the hearing, researchers who wrote a paper supporting his diet bills retracted their study, saying it was based on false research.
Despite these accusations, Oz still has a loyal viewership who accept his assertions as legitimate medical advice.