#45 Over Our Skis: Hype Beyond Evidence

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Jul 29, 2025

Dr. Bobby explores the fine line between legitimate medical therapies and exaggerated health claims. He reveals how treatments like vitamin C and B12 are misrepresented, with hype overshadowing evidence. The conversation dives into hyperbaric oxygen therapy and stem cell treatments, often touted for conditions they don't effectively address. Addressing the motives behind such claims, he discusses patient desperation and the massive wellness industry. Listeners are urged to critically assess health information to avoid falling for misleading trends.

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ANECDOTE

Examples of Overhyped Treatments

Historical and current examples show how effective treatments get overhyped for unsupported uses.
Vitamin C, B12, hyperbaric oxygen, and stem cell therapy illustrate this trend vividly.

INSIGHT

Why Unsupported Treatments Spread

Many turn to unproven therapies out of desperation when standard treatments fail.
Social media and financial incentives amplify health hype, creating fear of missing out.

ADVICE

Questions to Spot Health Hype

Ask if a therapy is proven for your specific condition, not just broadly.
Consider risks, costs, and potential delays to proven care before trying unproven treatments.

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Dr. Bobby examines how legitimate medical treatments often get overextended into unproven health claims—why it happens, why it matters, and how to spot it.

Building on last episode’s theme of health hype, this installment digs into examples where therapies with real medical uses (like vitamin C, B12, hyperbaric oxygen, and stem cell therapy) are being promoted far beyond what the evidence supports. Dr. Bobby unpacks the flawed logic of “theory plus anecdote plus expert equals evidence” and explains why even well-intentioned health advice can go too far when it skips the evidence.

You’ll hear about the historical rise and modern misuse of vitamin C—from preventing scurvy to overstated claims of immune boosting. The episode dives into vitamin B12, which has real benefits for those with deficiencies but is often marketed as a cure-all without support. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which is FDA-approved for very specific conditions like carbon monoxide poisoning and diabetic ulcers, is another example—now advertised for fatigue, brain fog, and aging without strong data to back it. And stem cell therapy, which truly helps in leukemia and bone marrow failure, is being extended to treat everything from dementia to heart disease—despite the lack of proven efficacy in these areas.

Dr. Bobby then addresses why this happens: patient desperation, the placebo effect, and the sheer momentum of what has been called “Big Wellness”—an industry now worth hundreds of billions. Social media only amplifies these trends, creating fear of missing out and distorting what counts as credible.

To help listeners navigate this landscape, Dr. Bobby shares questions to ask when encountering bold health claims. Has the treatment been proven in your condition? Are there peer-reviewed studies in humans? What are the risks and costs—not just financially, but in delaying evidence-based care? Are the promoters benefiting from those beliefs?

He encourages all of us to remain open-minded skeptics: curious, informed, and protective of both our health and our wallets.

Takeaways:
Ask whether the health claim is backed by solid evidence, not just theory and anecdote.
Don’t assume treatments with real uses are effective for everything they're marketed for.
Before trying the latest therapy, ask: Is this proven for my condition, and what’s the real cost?