Stephen Barrett
Stephen Barrett (born 1933) is an American retired psychiatrist, author, co-founder of the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF), and the webmaster of Quackwatch. He runs a number of websites dealing with quackery and health fraud. He focuses on consumer protection, medical ethics, and scientific skepticism.
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
Barrett was born in 1933 in New York City, New York. He completed his B.A. from the City College of New York in 1954 and his M.D. from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1957.
Career[edit | edit source]
Barrett is a board-certified psychiatrist who is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania, where he resided until he retired at age 65. He was a practicing psychiatrist from 1961 until his retirement in 1993. During his career, he taught at the University of Cincinnati and Pennsylvania State University.
Barrett is the author of 50 books, including The Health Robbers: A Close Look at Quackery in America and The Vitamin Pushers: How the "Health Food" Industry is Selling America a Bill of Goods. He has also written a number of papers for scientific and medical journals.
In 1970, Barrett co-founded the National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF), where he served as vice-president for over twenty years. He is the webmaster of Quackwatch, a website dedicated to combating health-related frauds, myths, fads, and fallacies.
Criticism and controversy[edit | edit source]
Barrett's activities have received criticism from proponents of alternative therapies and those who oppose his skeptical approach towards alternative medicine. He has been involved in a number of legal actions, both as the plaintiff and the defendant.
Recognition[edit | edit source]
Barrett's work has been recognized by a number of organizations dedicated to combating health fraud and promoting scientific skepticism. He received the FDA Commissioner's Special Citation Award for Public Service in combating nutrition quackery in 1984, and the James Randi Skeptic's Toolbox Award in 2001.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
External links[edit | edit source]
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
