Review by Basya -- Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks

Basya · Post by **Basya** » 14 Sep 2017, 13:10

[Following is a volunteer review of "Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks" by Morton E Tavel, MD.]

4 out of 4 stars

Share This Review

Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks: a Physician’s Advice by Morton E.Tavel, MD

Modern advances in health care are little short of mind-boggling. The sheer number of innovations in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment in recent decades is unprecedented. What is more, thanks to publicity generated by the internet, social media, television, and print publications, people the world over are more aware of breakthroughs than ever before. Health-conscious consumers may be enticed to try them out or confused by the plethora of products, services, and treatments available.

Enter Dr. Morton E. Tavel, an experienced and dedicated physician. In his book, Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks: a Physician’s Advice, the author sorts through remedies old and new. He has one goal: to differentiate between diagnostic tools, treatments, medications, and supplements that help and those that are merely hype.

Dr. Tavel addresses three basic topics:

• Tips: Effective and affordable methods of achieving and maintaining health
• Myths: Widespread erroneous beliefs concerning our bodies, physical well-being, and world
• Tricks: Strategies with the goal of causing the public to spend money on ineffective or harmful products, treatments, or advice

In the first section, the author focuses on both well-known topics and less common health hints. Dr. Tavel includes some eye-opening details. For example, if packaged foods and restaurant meals (which account for 80% of Americans’ total consumption) contained 50% less sodium, there would be 150,000 fewer untimely deaths every year. Well-documented statistics abound. Throughout the book, the author includes authoritative links providing additional information.

The second part of the book begins with the intriguing sentence: “Apparently, nutty ideas, once widely disseminated, are often impossible to dispel.” The author elaborates on this theme with a variety of statistics and carefully-researched points. Examples of the “myths” are: the erroneous belief (based on a discredited study) that there is a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and autism; a gluten-free diet is beneficial for everyone, when only 1-2% of Americans really need this expensive regimen; and annual physical examinations are necessary for healthy adults, when in reality practitioners may be on the lookout for problems that are not there.

In the third section, Dr. Tavel cites a 2007 survey which found that 40% of Americans undertook treatments that varied from those with no proof that they work to complete shams. To combat this reliance on ineffective and possibly harmful health practices, the author mentions three “red flags:”

• Claiming that the treatment’s effectiveness is due to a secret formula
• Calling the benefits “amazing” or “miraculous”
• Publicizing the treatment via phone calls, advertisements masquerading as articles, ads on back pages of magazines, and testimonials by unidentified individuals

Subsequent chapters define specific useless therapies and products (including some, like nutritional supplements, which may come as a surprise) and offer guidelines to help health consumers determine whether or not a publicized treatment is a bona fide remedy.

Dr. Tavel, the author of Snake Oil Is Alive and Well: the Clash Between Myth and Reality. Reflections of a Physician, brings decades experience as an internist and cardiologist (including the presidency of local and state chapters of the American Heart Association) to his writings. Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks is a well-thought-out guide to treatments and products promoting health and well-being.

The author backs up each premise with authoritative studies and research which are listed in footnotes at the end of the book. Including these references in a separate section is a wise formatting choice: there is no disruption in the flow of the text that occurs when footnotes appear on the bottom of the page. There are also references to helpful sites, sources of information, and research results at appropriate spots in the text itself; these provide important details and add credibility to the author’s statements.

In addition, the three sections are formatted in a way that makes it easy for people to locate information. Even though there is no index, the table of contents contains a summary of what each chapter covers—ensuring that readers can find what they are looking for at a glance.

Happily, the fact that the book is replete with statistics and scientific study results does not mean that this is a dry, tedious read. On the contrary, the author writes in an entertaining style and spices the narrative with interesting tidbits. The mostly short chapters add to the book’s readability and give readers an opportunity to digest their contents before continuing. (However, the fascinating subject matter may keep people turning the pages to discover new insights.) Many chapters wrap up with either a conclusion or bottom line in which the author stresses important points and includes a call to positive action.

Yet, some of Dr. Tavel’s positions may not appeal to all health-conscious consumers. For example, his belief (backed up, as indicated earlier, by research studies) that alternative therapies--like acupuncture and herbal supplements--have no validity and may be dangerous will not sit right with proponents of these remedies. That being said, so many of the author’s statements are valid that readers may find themselves thinking about their stands on viewpoints with which they disagree.

The bottom line: Dr. Tavel’s years of experience and genuine concern for the well-being of people everywhere—and their descendants—show through on every page. Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks is a valuable addition to the vast array of medical-advice books out there. Even better, this readable volume sheds light on the many popular theories and practices described on its pages. I rate this informative, thought-provoking book 4 out of 4 stars. It deserves a place on every bookshelf.

******
Health Tips, Myths, and Tricks
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like Basya's review? Post a comment saying so!