Julian Whitaker

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Julian M. Whitaker, M.D. (b. 1944) is an American physician, author, and practitioner of alternative medicine who operates the Whitaker Wellness Institute in Newport Beach, California. He is a member of the American Medical Association^{[citation needed]} although he has never been certified in any specialty recognized by this body.^[1] He is also a member Orange County Medical Association^{[citation needed]} and the American College for Advancement in Medicine.^{[citation needed]} He is past president of the American Preventive Medical Association, now called the American Association for Health Freedom, an advocacy organization for freedom of choice of patients and physicians.^{[citation needed]}

1 Education and certification
2 History
3 Medical philosophy
4 Criticism
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Education and certification

Whitaker graduated from Dartmouth College in 1966 with a bachelor of arts (A.B.) degree, and earned his M.D. from Emory University Medical School in 1970, completing a surgical internship at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital in 1971.^{[citation needed]} He did postgraduate training at Emory University and began but did not complete a residency in orthopedic surgery at a hospital^[which?] affiliated with the University of California San Francisco.^{[citation needed]}

Although he is proclaimed to be "board certified" in "Anti-Aging Medicine" from the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M),^[2] the A4M is not a medical certification board and "Anti-Aging" is not a medical specialty granted by the American Board of Medical Specialties.^[3]

[edit] History

In 1974 Whitaker founded the California Orthomolecular Medical Society dedicated to orthomolecular medicine, along with four other physicians^[who?].^{[citation needed]}

In 1976 he began work at the Pritikin Longevity Center under the direction of Nathan Pritikin, where he became an adherent of natural methods of treating disease and acquiring an interest in anti-aging and preventive medicine.^{[citation needed]}

In 1979 he founded the Whitaker Wellness Institute (based in Newport Beach, California) where today he and his staff treat patients through the use of diet, exercise, nutritional and herbal supplementation, acupuncture and lifestyle changes, as well as controversial therapies such as chelation.

[edit] Medical philosophy

Publicly agreeing with actor and Scientologist Tom Cruise, Whitaker is an opponent of the use of pharmaceuticals in the treatment of mental illness. He treats such illness with methods such as vitamin supplementation, changes in diet and exercise.^[4]

Whitaker is an active lecturer and edits his own newsletter called Health and Healing. He is the author of twelve books, including Reversing Heart Disease, Reversing Diabetes, and Shed 10 Years in 10 Weeks.