Robert Young
| Against allopathy Alternative medicine |
|
| Clinically unproven |
| Woo-meisters |
"Dr." Robert Oldham Young is a classic of the New Age. Like Kevin Trudeau, he is an "entrepreneur" and author of alternative medicine books, primarily about the alkaline diet.
He and his wife run the "pH Miracle Center" where they teach the alkaline diet, live blood analysis, and what they term "The New Biology" but the reality-based community terms "The Same Old Bullshit".
After an indeterminate period at the University of Utah, he did missionary work for the Church of Latter Day Saints, then received earned bought several degrees from Clayton College of Natural Health, though it is not thought that he also offers copromancy. Only fifteen other kinds of shit. He states that he trained under Robert Bradford, a convicted Laetrile smuggler and fraud[1] with no known academic qualifications.
Kim Tinkham[edit]
In 2007, Kim Tinkham, diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer, adopted Young's protocols before appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She enthusiastically promoted them on her website "cancerangel.org". A 2008 press release from Young contained her assertion that she was "cancer free by all medical terms" as diagnosed by her own doctors. Young was criticized following Tinkham's death of cancer on December 7, 2010.[2][3]
Legal issues[edit]
In 1995, Young allegedly drew blood from two women, told them they were ill, and then sold them herbal products to treat these illnesses. He was charged with two third-degree felony counts of practicing medicine without a license, but pled guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge.[4][5][6]
In 2001, Young was again charged with a felony in Utah, after a cancer patient alleged that Young told her to stop chemotherapy and to substitute one of his products to treat her cancer. Subsequently, when an undercover agent visited Young, he allegedly analyzed her blood and prescribed a liquid diet. The case was taken to preliminary trial, but charges were dropped after the prosecutor stated that he could not find enough people who felt cheated by Young.[7] Young dismissed the arrests as "harassment" and stated that he moved to California because the legal climate there was more tolerant.[5]
In January 2014 Young was arrested in California on 18 felony counts of theft and practicing medicine without a licence. The prosecutor in the case stated that there were a dozen victims named in the complaint, half of whom had died. If convicted, he faces a potential sentence of over 15 years in jail.[8][9]
In February 2016, jurors found Young guilty of two counts of practicing medicine without a license, but the jury did not convict him on six additional counts of practicing medicine without a license and grand theft.[10] Probably due to California's Health Freedom Law (SB577), Young avoided these additional charges as unlicensed CAM practitioners are able to peddle quackery and charge their patients customers large sums of money.[11]
In 2017, Young was facing civil charges,[12] and his co-defendant Dr Ben Johnson is also facing disciplinary action.[13][14]
In November 2018, Young was ordered to pay $105M in a civil suit.[15] In January 2019 his co-defendant Dr Ben Johnson died.[16]
Today[edit]
In April 2020, Young jumped on the Coronavirus 5G conspiracy bandwagon and stated that it's not contagious and viruses actually "don't exist".[17]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ California Residents Sentenced for Selling Phony Lyme Disease Cure, US Attorney's Office.
- ↑ Death by “alternative” medicine: Who’s to blame? (Revisited)}
- ↑ Kim Tinkham, the woman whom Oprah made famous, dead at 53 by Bart B. Van Bockstaele (Dec 8, 2010) Digital Journal.
- ↑ Herbalist in Alpine pleads guilty to reduced charge
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Naturopathic technique stirring bad blood
- ↑ People vs Robert O. Young Superior Court of California, San Diego County (Apr 12, 2017) Quackwatch.
- ↑ A Critical Look at "Dr." Robert Young's Theories and Credentials, Quackwatch
- ↑ Fake doctor charged with felony offences
- ↑ Medical Board of California report on arrest
- ↑ Figueroa, Teri (3 February 2016). "Split verdict for ‘pH Miracle’ author". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ↑ The “pH Miracle Diet” naturopath is guilty, but California still has a problem by Taylor Hermes (6 February 2016) Naturopathic Diaries.
- ↑ Cancer sufferer Dawn Kali sues Robert O. Young & Dr Ben Johnson D.O.
- ↑ Dr Ben(nie Stephen) Johnson D.O. accused of gross negligence
- ↑ Dr Ben Johnson had his license to practice medicine revoked in April 2017.
- ↑ Archive copy of www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/sd-me-phmiracle-civil-verdict-20181102-story.html
- ↑ Archive copy of the obituary of Dr Bennie Stephen Johnson
- ↑ The Truth About Viruses, including the Coronavirus