Gary Null

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gary Michael Null (born 1945) is an American talk radio host and author.[1] He advocates alternative medicine and naturopathy. On his radio show, and in books and self-produced movies, Null criticizes the medical community, promotes a range of alternative cancer treatments, denies that HIV causes AIDS,[2] and promotes dietary supplements which he produces. Starting in 1979 and continuing through the 1980s, Null helped produce two series of articles for Penthouse, entitled "The Politics of Cancer" and "Medical Genocide".[1]

In 2010, Null reported that he and six other consumers had been hospitalized – and that he had nearly died – of vitamin D poisoning, after ingesting a nutritional supplement carrying his name and endorsement. Null sued a contractor involved in producing the product, alleging that each contained more than 1,000 times the dose of vitamin D reported on the label.[3][4][5][6]

His views on health and nutrition are at odds with scientific consensus; Stephen Barrett, co-founder of the National Council Against Health Fraud, described Null as "one of the nation's leading promoters of dubious treatment for serious disease".[1]

Early life and education

Null was raised in Parkersburg, West Virginia, with his two brothers. He holds an associate's degree in business administration from Mountain State College in West Virginia and a bachelor of science degree from Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, New Jersey. He has been certified by the State of New York as a dietitian-nutritionist.[7]

Null holds a Ph.D. in human nutrition and public health sciences from Union Institute & University,[1] a private distance-learning college headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.[1][8] Null's doctoral thesis was entitled "A Study of Psychological and Physiological Effects of Caffeine on Human Health".[1]

His credentials, including the degree-granting practices at Edison State and the rigor of the Ph.D. program at Union Institute, have been questioned by Stephen Barrett on his Quackwatch website, who labeled Null as "one of the nation's leading promoters of dubious treatment for serious disease." Dr. Barrett also reported that when asked whether he had ever taken a science-based course in nutrition or public health, Null refused to answer.[1]

Advocacy

Attacks on mainstream medicine

Null attacks many facets of mainstream medicine, arguing that physicians and pharmaceutical companies have an economic interest in promoting rather than preventing sickness.[1] In the 1979-80, he co-authored a series of articles on cancer research for Penthouse, entitled The Politics of Cancer[1] beginning with one entitled "The Great Cancer Fraud."[9] Null's writings in Penthouse accused the medical community of "suppressing alternative cancer treatments to protect the medical establishment's solid-gold cancer train." In place of standard medical therapy, Null advocated alternative cancer treatments such as hydrazine sulfate. In 1985, Null began writing a lengthy series of reports for Penthouse entitled "Medical Genocide".[1] In 1999 TIME wrote of Null: "From a young reporter this is to be expected. But two decades later, Null, 54, is still warning of a variety of medical bogeymen out to gull a trusting public."[2]

Null was the keynote speaker at a rally opposing mandatory H1N1 influenza vaccination during the 2009 flu pandemic, leading the New York State Department of Health to dismiss Null's claims about the vaccine as "not scientifically credible." The New York State Health Commissioner held a conference at the time of the rally to discuss the clinical trials which were used to demonstrate its safety.[10]

In addition to his promotion of alternative cancer treatments and condemnation of the medical establishment, Null has argued that HIV is harmless and does not cause AIDS.[2] In his book AIDS: A Second Opinion, Null advocated a range of dietary supplements for HIV-positive individuals instead of antiretroviral medication. In 2002, Salon.com described the book as "massive, irresponsible and nearly unreadable."[11]

Seth Kalichman, professor of social psychology at the University of Connecticut, has decried Null's role as a prominent proponent of AIDS denialism and has accused him of cashing in on HIV/AIDS; in Kalichman's 2009 book, Denying AIDS, he compared Null's activities to Holocaust denial and described Null as an example of a dangerous entrepreneur who "obviously breached" the balance between free speech and protecting public health.[12]

Radio programs

Null began broadcasting a syndicated radio talk show, Natural Living with Gary Null in 1980.[citation needed] His show was broadcast first on WBAI, then on the VoiceAmerica Network and over the internet. Null's show subsequently returned to WBAI, leading to protests from ACT-UP New York and other AIDS activist groups concerned by Null's promotion of AIDS denialism.[13][14] He continues to host The Gary Null Show through the Progressive Radio Network, which he established in 2005.

Documentaries and detractors

Null has made several self-funded and self-produced documentary films on public policy issues, personal health, and development. His videos have been aired by PBS during pledge drives,[15][16] but concern arose within PBS over the videos' sensational claims. Ervin Duggan, the president of PBS, expressed concern that by showing Null's videos, the network was "open[ing] the door to quacks and charlatans."[17] Null implied that his problems with PBS may have been an attempt to silence him, saying: "The guardians of the gates of orthodoxy at PBS... you don't know who their friends are."[2]

Supplement incident

Null owns Gary Null & Associates, a company that markets dietary supplements, as well as a health food store in New York City.[18] In 2010, Null claimed that he was sickened and nearly killed by his own dietary supplements.[3][4][5] On 27 April 2010, The New York Daily News reported that Null had filed a $10 million lawsuit against Triarco Industries in Manhattan Supreme Court, accusing the manufacturer of "botching" its work on "Gary Null's Ultimate Power Meal" through inadequate manufacturing and safety testing, leading to the hospitalization of six consumers for severe kidney damage.[6] The suit alleges that the supplement contained 1,000 times the labelled dose of Vitamin D.[3] Null reportedly suffered severe pain and kidney damage from "Gary Null's Ultimate Power Meal", but continued consuming the supplement in the belief that it would relieve his symptoms.[3]

The Los Angeles Times wrote that Null's experience "should give pause to anyone lured by the extravagant claims of many supplements makers", and said that it was common for dietary supplements to contain doses "wildly different than those indicated on their label" as a result of weak regulation.[5] Null's attorney said the alleged vitamin poisoning was an isolated incident, adding: "We don't want anything to affect the physical well-being of anyone or the reputation of the company."[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Barrett, Stephen (January 29, 2012). "A Critical Look at Gary Null's Activities and Credentials". Quackwatch. Retrieved September 15, 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Park, Alice; Jeffrey Kluger (May 17, 1999). "The New Mister Natural". TIME. Retrieved June 23, 2011. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Gregorian, Dareh (April 28, 2010). "Health guru nearly killed eating own product". New York Post. Retrieved June 23, 2011. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Andreadis, Cleopatra (April 29, 2010). "Alternative Health Guru Sues Company Over His Own Product". ABC News. Retrieved June 23, 2011. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Healy, Melissa (April 29, 2010). "Supplements guru sues over his own product". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 23, 2011. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Martinez, Jose, Gary Null suit vs. supplement manufacturer claims Gary Null's Ultimate Power Meal nearly killed him, New York Daily News, 27 April 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  7. ↑ "License Information". NY State Education Department – Office of the Professions. March 21, 1996. Retrieved 2012-04-23. 
  8. ↑ Goetz, Kristina (March 27, 2004). "Union Institute rules get stricter". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved June 23, 2011. 
  9. ↑ Null's Penthouse articles on alternative cancer therapies include:
    • Null, Gary; Robert Houston (1979). "The Great Cancer Fraud". Penthouse: 76–78, 82, 268, 270, 272, 274, 276–278. 
    • Null, Gary; A. Pitrone (1980). "Suppression of new cancer therapies: Dr. Joseph Gold and hydrazine sulfate". Penthouse: 97–98, 160, 162–163. 
    • Null, Gary; L. Steinman (1980). "The politics of cancer. Part five. Suppression of new cancer therapies: Dr. Lawrence Burton". Penthouse: 75–76, 188–194, 196–197. 
  10. ↑ Scribona, Charles (November 2, 2009). "Health workers angry over mandatory swine flu shots". Legislative Gazette. Retrieved June 23, 2011. 
  11. ↑ Kurth, Peter (May 21, 2002). "Quack record". Salon.com. Retrieved June 23, 2011. 
  12. ↑ Kalichman, S (2009). Denying AIDS. Springer. pp. 12; 89. ISBN 978-0-387-79475-4. 
  13. ↑ "Letter to Indra Hardat, interim general manager, WBAI/Pacifica". ACT-UP. January 17, 2006. Retrieved June 23, 2011. 
  14. ↑ "WBAI: Do not put Gary Null's dangerous show on the air". aidstruth.org. November 17, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2011. 
  15. ↑ Katz, Richard, Null zeroes in on PBS, fills void in coffers, Variety, 23 December 1998. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  16. ↑ Quinn, Judy Gary Null's Book Sales Get Healthier, Publishers Weekly 12 April 1999. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  17. ↑ Bedford, Karen Everhart (January 25, 1999). "Gary Null special sparks debate on pledge program standards". Current. Retrieved January 19, 2009. 
  18. ↑ "Gary Null's Uptown Whole Foods". 

External links

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