Dr. Mehmet Oz ended up dragging himself down a rabbit hole of fame with his far-fetched and dubious claims. Oz stepped away from a respected medical practice to debut The Dr. Oz Show. The program became a space for discussing health and medicine, ran for 13 seasons, and garnered significant attention and viewership. Unfortunately, it was some of his claims during the run of his show that landed him in a legal mess, controversy, and scandal, resulting in him falling from grace and popularity alike.
One of the primary reasons for such backlash to his name was Dr. Oz’s backing of pseudoscience, especially the concepts of alternative medicine and homeopathy. His described processes and treatments have been widely criticized as not scientifically proven, and he has earned the tag of engaging in health fraud.
As a result, almost 40 episodes of his talk show were screened thoroughly, and it was determined that the claims he made were only faintly backed up by facts. One of the most controversial claims was that Dr. Oz touted crowning raspberry ketones and green coffee extract as almost magical cures for those seeking natural weight-loss methods.
Because of this claim, by 2014, Dr Oz was made to appear before a congressional committee to defend the dubious assertions he made on the show. The then Chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Claire McCaskill, argued that his miracle suggestions had almost no scientific evidence and proven methods to back up the claims. She echoed her disagreement with letting such a popular doctor propagate untrue facts, which can be counterproductive and appear cheap.
NO HEALTHCARE FOR THE PEASANTS OF AMERICA. ONLY THE RICH, WHITE PEOPLE CAN AFFORD “ADVANCED MEDICAL CARE.” The rest of us gotta buy “Dr Oz’d and JFK JRs fake cures in online ads.” THAT ABOUT SUMS IT UP.
— Terry Oberther Wells (@ObertherTe16920) November 25, 2025
In her words, “I don’t get why you have to say this stuff because you know it’s not true. So why, when you have this amazing megaphone and this amazing ability to communicate, would you cheapen your show by saying things like that? I know you know how much power you have. I know you know that. You are very powerful. And with power comes a great deal of responsibility. And I know you take it seriously and care about your listening and viewing audiences. I know you care about America‘s health.”
Caskill, a democratic politician, also emphasized how she could not wrap her head around the fact that a celebrity doctor of Oz’s stature could misuse their popularity and force vulnerable people towards unscientific measures. Dr. Mehmet, in his defense, agreed that, while his methods were not yet FDA-approved due to the lack of scientific evidence. He argued that, while not FDA-approved, the products were ‘thoroughly researched. And he has given out every product promoted to his near family members for use.
Reporter: Dr. Oz, how many rural hospitals have you personally visited?
Dr. Oz: Dozens. Oh, not in this term. This — heh — this is a 24/7 job. @atruparpic.twitter.com/ffmlAlGHhZ
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) November 25, 2025
While most thought the matter would end there, it did not. As Dr. Oz continued with his claims of green coffee extract being beneficial for weight loss, it prompted three people to file a lawsuit against his publicized fat loss supplements. The case was registered in February 2016, in which the claimants alleged that he falsely promoted items such as green coffee and Garcinia cambogia as weight-loss supplements, despite there being no concrete scientific evidence of their effectiveness.
In the end, all of Dr. Mehmet Oz’s companies had to pay up for the multiple lawsuits that had popped up against them. They had to shell out $5.25 million to resolve the claims. They were also asked to initiate refunds for buyers who purchased products with no scientific backing.
