NHS chief, Simon Stevens, was critical of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Netflix show, “the Goop Lab,” a documentary series that premiered on January 24. His comments were made at an event Thursday at the University of Oxford on “the impact of fake news on our lives.”
The new show follows Paltrow and the team at her wellness brand Goop, exploring experimental health trends such as psychedelic therapy and energy “exorcisms.” Stevens cited the series in his remarks, saying the Goop brand gives prominence to “quacks, charlatans and cranks” in promoting untested treatments.
He argued that Paltrow’s brand “peddles psychic vampire repellent, says chemical sunscreen is a bad idea and promotes colonic irrigation and DIY coffee enema machines, despite them carrying considerable risks to health.” He added that British health authorities have issued a statement xaying there is no scientific evidence to support such claims, reports the Associated Press.
Misinformation undermines public health
Stevens noted that while “fake news” is quite often associated with politics, it is also prevalent in the health and wellness sector, warning “people’s natural concern for their health … makes this particularly fertile ground for quacks, charlatans and cranks.”
Stevens cited the recent surge in measles cases, a childhood illness that can be prevented with a vaccine. He highlighted the misinformation surrounding vaccinations, saying Russian social media bots and anti-vaccination rhetoric were undermining the public’s confidence in essential vaccinations.
Misinformation has also helped to create panic on social media that includes unproven conspiracy theories over the novel coronavirus that has become a global health emergency.
Earlier this month, Goop attracted smirks for selling a $75 so-called vagina-scented candle, and in 2018, Goop was hit with penalties over “unsubstantiated claims” surrounding two of Goop’s vaginal eggs and an essential oil-like product. The company agreed to pay $145,000 in penalties, reports CNN News.
