“When you call a product a miracle, and it’s something you can buy and it’s something that gives people false hope, I just don’t understand why you need to go there,” said during the Senate hearing Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, the chairwoman of the Commerce subcommittee on consumer protection. Dr. Oz was accused to abuse his influence. Oprah’s favorite, Dr. Oz, finally admitted in his testimony that his weight loss ‘miracles’ are phony. But he insisted that the products he promotes can be used as a short-term crutch even though they don’t have the scientific muster to present as fact. “To not have the conversation about supplements at all, however, would be a disservice to the viewer,” Dr. Oz said after the hearing, adding: „I look forward to working with all those present today in finding a way to deal with the problems of weight loss scams.“ Being involved even indirectly in bogus weight loss due to what was called „the Oz effect“, based on his popularity, was not so good this time for the reputation of Dr. Oz, recognized not only by the media as one of the most influential people of the 21st Century. He was obliged to admit that: „I recognize that my enthusiastic language has made the problem worse“.
