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GMA‘s Richard Besser Slams Dr. Oz For ‘Fear Mongering’ Report On Arsenic In Apple Juice

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» 49 comments

Dr. Mehmet Oz is a real doctor, with real-life credentials and experiences. As a TV doctor, however, he often shares with his viewers real-life health concerns, like unhealthy amounts of arsenic in store bought apple juice. Dr. Oz appeared on GMA this morning and received a remarkably heated challenge from ABC News chief health and medical editor Dr. Richard Besser which included accusations of “fear mongering” and “irresponsible reporting.”

Science and medical reports on morning news programs are typically of the service variety, warning viewers about unseen dangers in everyday life. Evening opinion media programs on cable news outlets are usually the sole province of these sorts heated arguments and occasional shouting matches. But perhaps the producers at GMA have discovered a new sort of segment to inform and entertain: science debates!

Besser goes after Oz in a way not typically seen on morning news programs. Watch the segment below, courtesy of ABC:

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  • Anonymous

    Reporting everybody to AppleWatch . These fruit juice smears must be stopped .

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    Last night a woman came up to me and she said her sister’s veterinarian’s receptionist’s mother’s next door neighbor’s sister’s daughter’s teacher had heard from some woman who knows a woman who said that she drank some apple juice and started going retarded. Dr. Oz is obviously correct.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    I agree. The Ron Paul people are going to be fearful of those apricot nectar enemas they take.

  • Anonymous

    Dr. Oz  did tests that showed arsenic, and is hoping for further study on the long-term health risk.  Dr. Besser goes ‘off’ on Dr. Oz by interrupting and attacking him.    Dr. Oz handled the rudeness well.   

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    Dr. “Besser” is obviously the “better” doctor.

    Ah-hah-hah-hah-hah-hah.

    Hah-hah.

    Ah-hah-hah!

    That’s good.

    Hah-hah!

  • Jmpwawoo

    Dr Oz is often full of woo. See scepticalmedicine.com for reams of Oz woo debunked.

  • Thomas G Williams

    First thing to remember here is this is a toxic poison, now you have to ask your self why the arsenic levels are higher now than they were previously?????? because until recently in the past they removed the core area of the apple to KEEP THE ARSENIC FROM THE SEEDS OUT OF THE JUICE but that didn’t make the new way of maximizing profits and reducing costs work for the greedy SOB conservative corporate types so they just started GRINDING up the entire apple, seeds and all, because it reduced the waste and steps required to express the juice from the apples for creating the concentrate from which they produce the juice. So they THE CORPORATIONS sacrificed human health and common sense science FOR MONEY.  Dr. OZ was right to alert the public to this dangerous practice by CORPORATIONS who are poisoning the AMERICAN PEOPLE and most especially CHILDREN and BABIES WHO DRINK MORE OF THE JUICE than adults. REGULATIONS WOULD PUT AN END TO THIS PRACTICE BUT CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS WILL NOT PUT SAFETY AND HEALTH BEFORE PROFITS.

  • Noway

    Dr. Richard Besser  is a bully.  He must have stock in a juice company.  He was arrogant and rude to Dr. Oz.  I would love to see Besser with Judge Judy.  She would shut him up when the talked over her. 

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    That’s a most informative post. Thank you.

  • The Real Royal Emperor

    Then send Bill-o, Chris Matthews, Greta O’Van Susteren and Morning Joe to Judge Judy. Rudest people I’ve ever seen. Every time I want to listen to someone being interviewed, I can’t because of all of their talking over. 

  • Thomas G Williams

    What further study is needed to show that ARSENIC is a toxic poison which accumulates in the body damaging health and eventually killing the body? The long term health risk is death. Period death.
    And yes Dr. Oz did handle the rudeness AND the absolute abdication of medical ethics and sound scientific practices by Dr. Besser very well indeed.

  • Jsw3pema

    Maybe Besser is in cahoots with the FDA which does a lousy lousy job of protecting our food.drink — their primary target now is supplements and their elimination - maybe Bug Pharma is behind that

  • Anonymous

    two egos collide.  I do appreciate all the lefties making this about the republicans, can always count on them to bring it down to the base level. 

  • Anonymous

    perhaps because you left your hearing aid in the loo.

  • Thomas G Williams

    Like it or not but the FDA has had its powers to protect us gutted by CONSERVATIVES, they cant force food or drug or cosmetic corporations to do anything they object to, all it takes IS CUTTING THEIR POWERS AND THEIR ABILITIES AND THE MINIMUM BUDGETS necessary to protect the American people to prevent the FDA from being an effective agent/agency for the COMMON GOOD.
    you know that constitutional thing of providing for the common good that republicans and conservatives keep missing in the constitution when they mis-read it.

  • Thomas G Williams

    You hate the fact that all too often conservative republican ideologies are found to be the root of the evil in matters like this, and yes that is the base problem in an issue like this.

  • Thomas G Williams

    Personally I don’t smear the juice I wipe it up with a bio-degradable recycled paper towel.

  • Anonymous

    want to prove your statement thomas?  Gutted by?   

    I bet if you gave this task to the Obama team they could provide funds for 1,000 jobs!  Just imagine, 1 doofus for each of the 500 juice cans to take a small sample (tough job) and then 500 more to take it from the test room to the lab room.  Perhaps also more lab workers cause damn that apple juice testing has taxed our lab machine limits.

    Get a grip there boy.  Either that or they could send it all over to consumer report and have them do it for free.

    Whatcha think there big guy?

  • Tastes Great , Less Filling

    I’m pretty sure that was the regimen that Oprah put the President on .

  • Thomas G Williams

    Did you just crawl out from under a rock? Have you been in an UN-disclosed location cut off from all forms of information since 1995? Did you get your education from FAUX ? Is Grover Norquist your idea of a patriot who wants the United States Government so weak and powerless that our nations enemies can drown it in a bath tub?

    And they already TEST the JUICE which has nothing to do with how it is produced and processed and sold or consumed, but hey you just wanted to interject some ignorance into the factual side of this issue which you did not address.

     So to answer your question “Whatcha think there big guy?” I think your a conservative incapable of rationally informed thought or even the basics of knowing of which you post, Consumer Reports does manufactured consumer products testing not DRUGS or FOOD PRODUCTS, but hey if you want to show your basic stupidity more power to you.

  • Sharpo

    Why are you a poosey ?

  • Thomas G Williams

    What????????????? That’s typical conservatism for you.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ECYBIXNKAG5E46BC3GCJQPA7CQ well_its_no_cannibal_holocaust

    I blame Oprah.

  • Sharpo

    Your opinion would have relevance if you had a set of nuts.

  • http://twitter.com/runforfun54 Ilene K

    Now, if they had just slammed that arrogant Reince Preibus for continuing his lies about the President and the GOP and TeaParty’s active obstructionism it would have been a good day.  Disgraceful that GOP continues to profess its primary objective to unseat our President when their primary objective should be to repair our economy. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Pedro-Abreu/100000222562965 Pedro Abreu

    If no one else at least you’re laughing to your joke!

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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Pedro-Abreu/100000222562965 Pedro Abreu

    LOL

  • Anonymous

    silly comment thomas.  Drop the political nonsense.  There isn’t a republican boogy man around every corner there bud.  

    You show that you have no concept of how agencies operate.  When in doubt you figure you can just pick up a bash republican club and it will work.  That is juvenile and might I say rather predictable.  Your every answer to any issue is “throw more money at it”.  That’s just plain dumb.

    These two Doctors were out to have a fight.  If you knew anything about body language Oz was well aware of where this doofus was coming from.  It’s simple – Heart Surgeons are the top of the medical totem pole.   You have to have an ego to become one (also rather bright).  There are plenty of guys who are out to get Oz and take him down a peg.  This guy’s shtick only worked on you.  

    Bah bye now - 

  • Anonymous

    Well I think, other than name calling, you’ve come up empty.  Now drink your juice like a good boy and go away.

    You showed your hand and it’s got nothing but “bully” written all over it.  Grow up.

    p.s. still waiting for your proof on the “gutted by” nonsense, and I’m not referring to your latest fishing trip.

  • Anonymous

    did you stumble into the wrong room there Ilene or did you think your “thought” was so intelligent it just had to be shared over apple juice?

  • Thomas G Williams

    You really are a piece of work, the FDA was set up to assure the SAFETY of the nations drug and food resources as a REGULATOR but it has been gutted by REPUBLICANS over the objections of the Adults. 

    By the way what kind of money being thrown at it would negate the basic common sense of not grinding arsenic containing seeds into the juice? Removing toxins from pesticides from the skin before processing?

    As for my concept of how agencies work or operate ? You have demonstrated that I do in fact know quite a bit more about than you have shown by being so ignorant of the subject.

  • Anonymous

    …and then the woman said “it’s past your bedtime there big guy, let’s chat about it in the dark”.

  • Anonymous

    royal flush tickled his own funny bone.  

  • Anonymous

    Reminds one of the great “Alar Scare” of yesteryear.  Cue Meryl Streep.

  • Anonymous

    Sorry to burst your bubble, but you claim the FDA has been gutted due to republicans not increasing their funding.  Now you are doing the back stroke.  

    You answered your own question, and blew a hole in your entire bashing republicans b.s.  In fact, you made a circular argument and came to the same conclusion of what I had said.

    Now Thomas,  your good wife might think you’re brilliant but sweet cheeks, I’m not that easily impressed.  

    I have demonstrated that you know a lot? lol  That was cute, but inaccurate.  I demonstrated that you had no idea why you were bashing republicans but you figured it’s a fine sport and you wanted to participate.  That’s all I demonstrated, and I proved it.

  • Thomas G Williams

    I do not have to prove a fact.

    Only a neo-con would demand you prove a fact.

    Go to THE HILL.com and you will find a dozen plus current stories of REPUBLICANS gutting regulations and Government authorities to regulate and/or enforce regulations.

    And my juice of choice is Grapefruit.

    You stick with the suicidal conservative Koolaid, it will work, please let it work soon.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jj-Wisniewski/100002654075475 Jj Wisniewski

    I’ve been drinking apple juice since I was kid in the early 50s and I’m still here. They come out with these rediculous off the wall statements from the medical community all the time. Milk is good for, Milk is not good for you. This is not good for your blood pressure, Oh, this is OK. How can you trust these so called experts when they keep changing their minds every few years.

  • Thomas G Williams

    They have continuously cut its funding and gutted its authority to enforce or regulate and for you to claim otherwise is……conservative.

    Be proud of your ability to be…..conservative.

    Oh and as for your very clearly expressed ……..log cabin conservative leanings, I aint out to impress you with my brilliance, that’s a given (you being impressed that is) you are also showing your fear of me and my ….bashing.

    BTW: despite your obvious beliefs to the contrary, this was a nation founded by ….well non-conservatives the conservatives of yesteryear were red then RED COATS that is.

  • Anonymous

    and as it turns out that retarded woman was Michelle Bachmann, and one day she would retard herself all the way to the Whitehouse.

  • Anonymous

    Happening Now on FNC is about to cover this (after the commercial break).
    I just hope that this is not another bogus Allar scare that puts thousands of orchards out of businees only to later learn that the “science” was wrong.

  • Guest

    Recently CNN aired a special with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.  He discussed Bill Clinton’s new vegan diet.  I believe he doesn’t even use olive oil now-total vegan.  It all seems like information overload.  We cannot be afraid of everything…now apple juice?

  • Anonymous

    Dr. Oz is so full of himself and believes himself to be a polymath, which he certainly isn’t.

  • Go Navy

    You’re seeing a whole team of psychiatrists, aren’t you?

  • Go Navy

    Another shill for the lemmings, I don’t have to prove a fact, if I say so.  LMFAO, typical MO for the lemmings.

  • Anonymous

    Oprah, can afford her cadre of fashionable doctors, most of us cannot.  Dr Oz is a television doctor, he makes his money on causes and appearances.  I don’t believe he keeps his medical license up to date because it’s not as if he has a practice like a regular physician.  He may be sounding a legit alarm but, nobody else has been able to reproduce his results which is how science works.  He should be concerned that others using the same samples are not getting “high” levels.  He only used one lab?  That makes no sense, scientifically.

  • Anonymous

    You can’t trust soundbyte experts.  I’d trust an actual practicing,experienced, physician over a TV one, anyday of the week.

  • Doctor of science

    There are two types of arsenic organic and inorganic. The inorganic variety is the harmful one. Organic arsenic can, in the quantities found (around 23 parts per billion), be easily handled by the body. In fact, the body is exposed daily to numerous toxins contained naturally in foods. Dr. Oz failed to conduct a test which would have differentiated between the two types of arsenic. To claim that the levels in juice exceed permissible levels in drinking water is also incorrect and shows a complete lack of understanding as to how those values are calculated. The calculation of permissible levels involves risk analysis based on lifetime exposure to water in the quantities we normally drink or consume in foods, and also considers the quantities of arsenic that we are exposed to from other sources including air, soil, food and drinks other than drinking water. Data from any available scientific studies are used in the determination of permissible levels in drinking water. If a no adverse effect level is known it is used in the calculated. Otherwise a presumed no effect level is calculated. However, that is not where the story end. The no effect level is divided through by safety factors designed to further remove individuals from risk. In the case of lifetime exposures those factors are often very high in the thousands or tens of thousands. Therefore, if an individual is exposed to arsenic in levels that somewhat exceed the permissible drinking water level, especially if this is a drink other than water that is consumed on a limited basis, they are still more than safe. Dr. Oz pretend not to be an expert in areas outside your own realm of expertise – cardiology.

  • http://zdoggmd.com ZDoggMD

    Us practicing docs are not fans of the good Oz. See epic dis rap video here: http://zdoggmd.com/2011/06/sucker-mds/

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