The Skeptic

Magazine Overview

Title: The Skeptic
Issue: Volume 7 Number 9
Date: September 1993
Publisher: The North Texas Skeptics

This issue of The Skeptic, the newsletter of The North Texas Skeptics, delves into various topics with a critical and skeptical eye, covering health claims, scientific endeavors, and unusual phenomena.

Healthy Skepticism: "SKINNY PILL" SCAM

By Tim Gorski, M.D.

This article addresses the persistent human desire for effortless weight loss, recalling historical attempts like tapeworms and amphetamines. The focus shifts to chromium, a trace metal that is a known cofactor for insulin and plays a role in carbohydrate metabolism. While a deficiency might be associated with diabetes, the article cautions against the quackery surrounding chromium supplements.

Promoters of supplements like "Herbal Energizer" and "Trichromaleane" make extraordinary claims, suggesting they can make the body more sensitive to insulin, improve metabolism, and lead to weight loss without dietary changes. These products are often sold through multi-level marketing schemes, which the author notes can be lucrative for those at the top.

The article highlights the danger that these supplements pose, particularly to diabetics and individuals with impaired glucose tolerance, who might substitute them for proper medical care. There is no evidence that chromium supplements are generally indicated, effective, or safe for managing diabetes. A case is mentioned where a mother attempted to use a chromium supplement to reduce her diabetic child's insulin dosage.

Furthermore, the piece discusses the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) proposed regulations for "dietary supplements" under the Nutritional Labeling and Education Act of 1990. Contrary to fears that the FDA would outlaw vitamins, the proposed rules would require supplement labels to carry information similar to that on processed foods. Health claims would be permitted only if supported by "significant agreement among qualified experts." The FDA is also seeking more information about the safety of various preparations, including amino acids, herbal products, fiber, enzymes, and trace elements.

The article also touches upon research from Harvard Medical Schools, which found a reduced relative risk of breast cancer among women taking vitamin A supplements, though the effect size suggested that women with adequate dietary intake might not benefit. Vitamin A is found in animal products, while beta carotene, converted to vitamin A in the body, is abundant in plant-derived foods.

Dr. Joycelyn Elders, the new U.S. Surgeon General, is mentioned for overseeing the distribution of condoms with a higher failure rate than allowed by the FDA, a move justified by the belief that recipients would be incapable of purchasing their own. This resulted in substandard contraceptive and disease-control benefits for numerous people.

Dr. Gorski is identified as a practicing physician, chairman of the D/FW Council Against Health Fraud, and an NTS Technical Advisor.

The third eye

By Pat Reeder

This section begins by noting the persistent heat and the hardening of "half-baked ideas" into "overcooked delusions." The author then discusses the Mars Observer space probe, which mysteriously went silent just before transmitting images. A group, including former NASA employee Robert Hoagland, claims the probe is functional and that NASA deliberately disabled it to conceal evidence of a Martian civilization. They fear the reaction of Christian fundamentalist groups, who have reportedly identified the famous "face" on Mars as Ozzy Osbourne.

The article then pivots to a related issue: a group of parents in Gaston County, North Carolina, who demanded that Africa and Germany be removed from maps in local classrooms, believing these places to be anti-Christian. They also sought to suppress Greek letters in the curriculum, viewing their use as an endorsement of homosexuality. The author sarcastically suggests these places could be moved to Mars.

The author poses a conundrum: who to side with—the advocates of life on Mars, the fundamentalists altering maps, or NASA for losing billions of taxpayer money. The conclusion is that "they've all been out in the sun too long."

In a related vein, the article mentions a state-of-the-art observatory in Arizona, jointly operated by NASA and the Vatican. The telescope searches for distant galaxies, and if humanoids are found, the Catholic Church is prepared to baptize them, a situation humorously linked to a shortage of priests and the Pope's tall hat.

The author also recounts a bizarre incident in Vinton, Louisiana, where 20 naked Pentecostals, claiming divine instruction, led police on a chase in a Pontiac Grand Am, eventually crashing. They were charged with a misdemeanor and released to their relatives in Galveston.

The Taos Hum and Antarctic Penguins

The Associated Press reports on scientists in Taos, New Mexico, who are investigating the mysterious "Taos Hum," a low-frequency sound audible only to some people. The hum is described as abrupt, interfering with sleep, and causing dizziness, headaches, and nosebleeds. Researchers will next examine individuals who hear the hum for potential super-sensitivity to electromagnetic fields.

An unusual experiment is underway in Antarctica, a joint venture between American and Australian environmental science groups. The five-year mission aims to determine if the "greenhouse effect" is warming Antarctic waters by weighing penguins to see if they get fatter. The logic is that warmer waters would lead to more fish and plankton, thus fatter penguins. The author humorously questions why a thermometer isn't used instead, suggesting it creates jobs and that grant money is easier to obtain for penguin weighing.

Elvis People: A New Religion?

This section discusses a book, "Elvis People: Cult Of The King," by former BBC religious reporter Ted Harrison. Harrison argues that the Elvis cult might be a "religion in embryo," drawing parallels between Elvis fans and early Christianity. He lists similarities such as rewritten birth stories resembling the Nativity, pilgrimages to Graceland, the veneration of Elvis's scarves as relics that can cure diseases, claims of Elvis predicting his own death, and appearances after death. Some fans reportedly state that "it is possible not only to love Elvis, but to be loved by Elvis, and to have a personal relationship with him."

The author adds further comparisons, noting that while country singers used to sing about Jesus, they now sing about Elvis, and contrasts Jesus seeking out thieves and prostitutes with Elvis playing Las Vegas. The sale of Elvis by Colonel Parker for "30 million pieces of silver" is also mentioned. The author speculates that Robert Tilton might eventually preach the gospel of Elvis.

Culinary Curiosities

Finally, the issue touches upon a culinary experiment from Japan, where large food companies are trying to convince consumers to pay extra for bread and noodles exposed to classical music. They claim that music by Beethoven and Vivaldi makes enzyme and yeast fungus activity more lively, improving taste. Specifically, noodles are said to "prefer" Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" mixed with bird chirping. The author humorously wonders if cello players have more yeast infections if Beethoven inspires yeast growth.

Up a tree

A skeptical cartoon by Laura Ainsworth is included, humorously depicting characters blaming space aliens, Martians, and scientists for the missing Mars probe, before questioning whether one would want to "enrage a fundamentalist."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of The Skeptic revolve around debunking pseudoscientific claims, particularly in the realm of health and diet (e.g., chromium supplements). The publication also critically examines extraordinary claims related to space exploration (Mars Observer) and unusual phenomena (Taos Hum). The editorial stance is clearly skeptical, promoting critical thinking and scientific evidence over unsubstantiated beliefs, religious fundamentalism's influence on public discourse, and the commercial exploitation of public credulity. The magazine also uses humor to highlight the absurdity of certain beliefs and practices.