Fad Diagnoses

Or fashionable labels

Recipe for a New Fad Disease

Pick any symptoms -- the more common the better. Pick any disease -- real or invented. (Real diseases have more potential for confusion because their existence can't be denied.) Assign lots of symptoms to the disease. Say that millions of undiagnosed people suffer from it. •Pick a few treatments -- Including supplements will enable health food stores and others to get in on the action.

Promote your theories through books andtalk shows.

Don't compete with other fad diseases.Say that yours predisposes people to therest or vice versa.

Claim that the medical establishment, thedrug companies, and the chemicalindustry are against you.

State that the medical profession is afraidof your competition or trying to protect itsturf.

If challenged to prove your claims, say thatyou lack the money for research, that youare too busy getting sick people well, andthat your clinical results speak forthemselves.

Real or Spurious ?Real or Spurious ?

Real• Chronic fatigue

syndrome• Attention Deficit

syndromes• Food allergies• Hypoglycaemia

Spurious• Sick Building

syndrome• Multiple chemical

sensitivity• Gulf war syndrome• Sick building

syndrome

Why promote one?Why promote one?

• Boredom

• Low professional esteem

• Paranormal tendencies

• Paranoid mental state

• Reality shock

• Beliefs encroachment

Why promote one?Why promote one?

• The profit motive

• The prophet motive

• Psychopathic tendencies

• The conversion phenomenon