Doing Your Own Detective Work

I'm still working on reading The Unhealthy Truth by Robyn O'Brien.  I know it's been a long time since I've mentioned that I was reading it, but I took a break to read a few novels for book club and I'm back to it again.  Last night I was reading a chapter called "Dr Conflict Of Interest--Or Interest(s)?".  It was about how so many specialists and scientists who are "the face" of different projects (the example she gave in the book is Dr. A. Wesley Burks, who is working on a peanut allergy vaccine) are actually getting funding or on the board of conflicting organizations or corporations (in this case pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies, Gerber, Mead-Johnson (who makes Enfamil baby formula). 
Without going into too much detail here, I just wanted to pass along a little of the info that O'Brien presents in her book.  I've mentioned lots of doctors or specialists on here before and I trust them because I *think* they're doing the right thing for the right reasons, but to be honest, I don't really know. So when I found O'Brien's list of ways to check out where these doctors get their funding or on which board of directors they sit, I decided to pass it along to you, so that you too, can check out some of these specialists.  So, to be an educated consumer of products AND information, O'Brien says you need to do 3 things:
1. Whenever you read or hear an "expert opinion" consider the funding source.  Google the name of the doctor, organization, or medical institution and add on or more of the following terms, "disclosure," "speakers bureau," "grant," "consulting fee," or "funding."  Chances are you'll hit a goldmine of information...
2. Insist on full disclosure.  If the expert is not forthcoming in disclosing his or her funding, insist upon it.  Take it up the chain until you get it from someone at his or her organization...
3. When considering these experts and their opinions, weigh the influence that patents, royalty feed, speaking arrangements, television appearances, and the like might have on their reputation and financial success.  Discuss this with your friends.  How much money go these guys get from these corporate sponsorships?  Start to picture them like those race car drivers who have their sponsorships and endorsements blazoned across their uniforms. 

So the next time you come across an article where an "expert" is telling you that this or that product is "the best" check out their website, google their name, make sure that they're not motivated by funding to promote this product.