Dr. Oz to Use His Talk Show to Beat Back Critics

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Dr. Mehmet Oz doesn’t plan to let harsh criticism of his professional integrity go unanswered.

The celebrity daytime talk show host will use his show to respond to critics who want to see him booted from his faculty member position at Columbia University, claiming he endorses “quack treatments” on TV, CNN Money reports.

A group of 10 physicians recently wrote to Columbia, saying that Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and vice chairman of Columbia’s surgery department, has shown an “egregious lack of integrity by promoting quack treatments and cures in the interest of personal financial gain” and calling for his removal from his faculty position.

CNN Money said the doctors were especially critical of what they refer to as Oz’s “baseless and relentless opposition to the genetic engineering of food crops.”

Oz said he’s not necessarily in opposition to genetically modified foods, or GMO, but he is an advocate of better labeling of them.

The Oz episode addressing the criticism will likely air Thursday.

“We plan to show America who these authors are, because discussion of health topics should be free of intimidation,” a spokesman for the show said.

On his Facebook page last week, Oz indicated that the doctors who wrote the letter had “certain agendas which distort the facts.” The doctors allegedly have ties to the American Council on Science and Health, a pro-industry advocacy group that supports GMOs, The New York Times reports.

This isn’t the first time Oz has come under fire for his health tips (check out “You May Want to Think Twice Before Following Dr. Oz’s Advice“). “The Dr. Oz Show” is now in its sixth season.

The Times said Oz’s position at Columbia University is likely safe.

“When asked whether Dr. Oz would keep his job, Doug Levy, the chief communications officer at Columbia Medical Center, said, ‘The university is committed to the principle of academic freedom, which means our faculty are encouraged to participate in public discussion.'”

Do you watch the “The Dr. Oz Show?” What do you think of Oz and his recommendations? Sound off below or on our Facebook page.

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