Carlton Fredericks - Radio Doctor
During that second half of the 1970s the popular nutrition guru Carlton Fredericks had a hugely popular radio program that dispensed some pretty cutting-edge (or off-the-wall, depending upon your perspective) advice. This was during an era when there were not a zillion doctors, pharmacists and snake oil salespeople on the air extolling the virtues of various foods and vitamins.
Born Harold Frederick Caplan, Fredericks had a BA in English and reported to have a PhD in Public Health Education (although the Quackwatch web site says his graduate degree was in Communications). He became a popular media figure, advocating vitamin supplements and health foods at a time when taking a One-A-Day was considered excessive. You could tell that this guy was an English major; he was extremely articulate. He also wrote numerous books on nutrition, many of which are still for sale.
In 1976 Fredericks began his "Design for Living" program at 10:00 PM on WOR radio. The chief sponsor was Prevention magazine. His teachings were not only contrary to the medical establishment, but also differed sharply from what most health food types believed. For example:
Born Harold Frederick Caplan, Fredericks had a BA in English and reported to have a PhD in Public Health Education (although the Quackwatch web site says his graduate degree was in Communications). He became a popular media figure, advocating vitamin supplements and health foods at a time when taking a One-A-Day was considered excessive. You could tell that this guy was an English major; he was extremely articulate. He also wrote numerous books on nutrition, many of which are still for sale.
In 1976 Fredericks began his "Design for Living" program at 10:00 PM on WOR radio. The chief sponsor was Prevention magazine. His teachings were not only contrary to the medical establishment, but also differed sharply from what most health food types believed. For example:
- Fatty meats were good for you, he stated, especially liver, brains and other organs. He and Atkins had a few things in common.
- Cholesterol, Fredericks claimed, did not cause heart attacks. He believed that clots formed in the coronary arteries after the attack.
- Schizophrenia and other mental disorders were often the result of hypoglycemia - low blood sugar, or nutritional deficiencies that required the patient to have abnormally high requirements for certain vitamins. Treatment was termed "orthomolecular psychiatry."
- Sugar was THE enemy.
Although he made it clear he was NOT a medical doctor, Fredericks did repeatedly say he had his PhD in public health education. If indeed, his training was in communications, he seriously misled the public, since he certainly did discuss treatments for various illnesses. In addition he hosted a weekly "Radio Nutrition Class." CF also smoked, although he claimed to take vitamins to counteract the effects of tobacco.
Despite some of his outlandish teachings and possible lies about his credentials, Fredericks did have his good points. He was a fierce advocate of high-fiber diets, cutting back on refined foods (especially sweets) and fresh vegetables.
posted by Tony the Tour Guy | 6:20 PM
7 Comments:
CF was one of the all time greats. Love him or hate him , he made you think . Not just about nutrition but about the medical establishment.
Carlton Fredericks held a Ph.D. in public health education for NYU. He did nto advocate the health effects of fat, believed the secret was a balance intake of saturated and unsaturated fats in a healthy diet, believe high protein diets were a good way to lose weight. Other fad dietary gurus added the don't worry about fat twist to the high protein low carbohydrate diet.
Hear, hear to the above two comments! Carlton Fredericks was one of a band of thinkers and researchers, a colleague of Dr. Robert Atkins and the late *Dr. Linus Pauling, who was *("awarded two undivided Nobel Prizes. In 1954 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Eight years later he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his opposition to weapons of mass destruction.")
The FDA attacked Linus Pauling to, his work on vitamin c is authoritative and outstanding.
Carlton Fredericks didn't in reality have a PhD in Public Health Education from NYU. Unlike what Carlton Claimed, in realityhis PhD was in communications. He made a bunch of false claims about nutrition. He promoted the assumption of saturated fats. He himself was a heavy smoker. He almost went to jail during the 1940s for practicing medicine without a license.
Although most doctors are not taught much about nutrition in medical school, Carlton Fredericks took advantage of that facts. The fact that most MDs don't know much about nutrition enable Carlton Fredericks to bullshit many people. But he didn't bulllshit me.
Sincerely yours,
Bruce Geidel
The mainstream medical establishment has many shortcompings Most doctors aren't taught much about nutrition in medical schools. However, Carlton Fredricks took advantage of this fact that enabled him to bullshit his way through. Both refined foods and white sugar are very bad for you. So is cigarette smoking. Carlton Fredericks was out of reality if he sincerely beleived that he could offset the bad effects of tobacco by taking vitamins. The right thing for him to do was to quit smoking. I understand that he smoked until his end.
Carton Fredericks wasn't a scientist like Linus Pauling, Carlton Fredericks was a businessman and salesman. Dr. Victor Herbert believed that Carlton Fredericks was a quack and charlatan who claimed to have a PhD in publix health education. The truth is his PhD was in communications.
Sincerely yours,
Bruce Geidel
Carlton Fredericks was a phony quack and charlatan. He was full of bullshit and full of pigshit.
Sincerely yours,
Bruce Geidel
I don't know how Carlton Fredericks spoke on major radio and television stations in New York City. How did he fool people that he was an expert on nutrition? I just wonder. You don't knoow what is true and untrue. I always had many doubts about Carlton Fredericks. He acted like he was being unjustly persecuted by the mainstream medical establishment.
Although mainstream orthodox medicine has many faults, and it could use a loot of correction, improvement, modification, and reform, quacks and charlatans take advantage of this truth. Alternative medicine is a politically correct term for fraud and quackery.
Sincerely yours,
Bruce Geidel
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