RED FLAGS

• If they promise quick, dramatic, or fast results. There are no short cuts in good medicine.
• Charging high fees for consultations.
• Not accepting or cooperating with medical insurance.
• Seemingly seeking celebrity over science.
• Be wary of anyone who discourages you from seeking a second opinion. No human being is perfect and no one can know all there is to know. No doctor is a God. The best doctors on the planet know it takes a team to reach the best result. If your doctor is behaving differently, there’s likely something very wrong with what they want you to do.
• Does your doctor routinely bad-mouth or attempt to discredit other doctors? That’s incredibly unprofessional and quite worrisome.
• Trying to offer medical advice in unusual online settings either for free or for a fee (which, incidentally, can be both dangerous and potentially illegal).
• Offering concrete medical advice to large groups of people, either online or in person. For instance, we’ve heard of certain “experts” telling members of online forums to take large doses of a specific over the counter medication, with explicit orders not to tell their individual doctors. This is incredibly dangerous, unethical, and not to mention, illegal. Behavior such as this could lead to medical license revocation.
• Encouraging you in any way to either not talk to your own personal doctor, not inform your doctor of their advice, or do something contrary to your doctor’s advice.
• Attempting to fast forward through the vital clinical diagnostic process for Dercum’s Disease of carefully ruling out other possible causes. No one can magically “feel your fat” and know for certain you have Dercum’s, rather than other potential causes, like Madelung’s Syndrome, a thyroid issue, or any number of potential endocrine diseases or disorders.
• If the doctor in question has a financial interest in their recommendations, but fails to disclose that fact. For instance, if a doctor recommends an experimental treatment from a company that they happen to own part of. Incidentally, failure to disclose such financial interests is a violation of law. That exact circumstance has happened in the Dercum’s community.
• Except in certain specific circumstances, any time a doctor tries to sell you something should give you pause. The attempt to separate you from your money will inevitably cloud the situation. (Exceptions to this would include specialists that routinely sell medical equipment, e.g. podiatrists selling special orthotic shoes, orthopedists selling custom molded orthotics or boot casts, etc.)
• Either explicitly or implicitly discouraging dissent, excluding those who disagree, or encouraging followers to trust in them and them alone. Medical science is not a religion and should not be expected to be believed based on faith.
• If you can’t find any words of caution, be wary. If they specifically fail to mention any data or outcomes that may disagree with or challenge their conclusions, or if you are actively discouraged from considering other data or points of view, that’s a very concerning red flag.
• If they try to equate patient surveys or individual case studies with actual long term, double blinded clinical research. That difference should be acknowledged and there should be a healthy respect for the difference between anecdotal evidence and actual research.
• Pressuring you to ask another doctor to order specific blood tests, rather than ordering the tests themselves. This is considered highly unethical, as doctors are professionally responsible for the tests that they order. If they order a given test, they must have some idea of what they will do if that test comes back abnormal. If a test does come back abnormal and they fail to act, that is a form of medical malpractice. For that and many other similar reasons, it is not ethical for one doctor to get another to order tests for them, either directly or indirectly via coercion of the patient.
• Beware of loners/outliers, especially if they make claims of persecution of conspiracies. Meaning, if there seems to be a wide consensus of information from a wide variety of reliable sources, yet “Bob’s Fat Research Institute” offers their own unique or even contradictory theories. It’s probably “Bob’s Institute” you should be wary of, not the vast consensus from tried and true scientific medical organizations. It’s all the more concerning if “Bob’s Institute” claims that they’re the victims of persecution, a code of silence, evil big pharmaceutical companies, or some other sort of vast conspiracy.
• If they adopt a “persecution complex”, as if they alone have all the answers and everyone – from your own doctor to the medical industry or “big pharma” – are somehow “out to get them”.
• Beware of hype. If it sounds too good to be true, it definitely is.
• Beware of doctors offering cure-alls. No one substance could possibly cure absolutely every ailment or every symptom you’re experiencing. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Look for contrary information and opinions. If you’re reading information from a doctor – or anyone – trying to convince you of a treatment or product, actively try to find out what the critics are saying. Ask yourself, “Is there another side to this story?”, “What do other people believe?”, “Is there a study that shows negative outcomes out there?”. Examine all sides of every story and see which one sounds more realistic, credible, and scientific.
• If a doctor has a history of suddenly moving from one state to another, without reasonable cause. This can be a sign of a quack trying to evade state-led investigations. It happens far more often than you might think.
• Be especially wary of anyone – especially doctors – selling or pressuring you into trying something because it’s “all natural”. Just because something is natural does NOT mean it’s safe! Think of it this way. If something is powerful enough to help you, isn’t it also powerful enough to hurt you? Cyanide is perfectly natural. Arsenic is perfectly natural. Both of them will still kill you. Even substances that aren’t dangerous alone could easily interact with medications you’re taking. Those interactions can be deadly! Always consult with your doctor before trying any new treatment. If someone’s trying to sell you a treatment without advising the same, be exceedingly wary!

• If they promise quick, dramatic, or fast results. There are no short cuts in good medicine.
• Charging high fees for consultations.
• Not accepting or cooperating with medical insurance.
• Seemingly seeking celebrity over science.
• Be wary of anyone who discourages you from seeking a second opinion. No human being is perfect and no one can know all there is to know. No doctor is a God. The best doctors on the planet know it takes a team to reach the best result. If your doctor is behaving differently, there’s likely something very wrong with what they want you to do.
• Does your doctor routinely bad-mouth or attempt to discredit other doctors? That’s incredibly unprofessional and quite worrisome.
• Trying to offer medical advice in unusual online settings either for free or for a fee (which, incidentally, can be both dangerous and potentially illegal).
• Offering concrete medical advice to large groups of people, either online or in person. For instance, we’ve heard of certain “experts” telling members of online forums to take large doses of a specific over the counter medication, with explicit orders not to tell their individual doctors. This is incredibly dangerous, unethical, and not to mention, illegal. Behavior such as this could lead to medical license revocation.
• Encouraging you in any way to either not talk to your own personal doctor, not inform your doctor of their advice, or do something contrary to your doctor’s advice.
• Attempting to fast forward through the vital clinical diagnostic process for Dercum’s Disease of carefully ruling out other possible causes. No one can magically “feel your fat” and know for certain you have Dercum’s, rather than other potential causes, like Madelung’s Syndrome, a thyroid issue, or any number of potential endocrine diseases or disorders.
• If the doctor in question has a financial interest in their recommendations, but fails to disclose that fact. For instance, if a doctor recommends an experimental treatment from a company that they happen to own part of. Incidentally, failure to disclose such financial interests is a violation of law. That exact circumstance has happened in the Dercum’s community.
• Except in certain specific circumstances, any time a doctor tries to sell you something should give you pause. The attempt to separate you from your money will inevitably cloud the situation. (Exceptions to this would include specialists that routinely sell medical equipment, e.g. podiatrists selling special orthotic shoes, orthopedists selling custom molded orthotics or boot casts, etc.)
• Either explicitly or implicitly discouraging dissent, excluding those who disagree, or encouraging followers to trust in them and them alone. Medical science is not a religion and should not be expected to be believed based on faith.
• If you can’t find any words of caution, be wary. If they specifically fail to mention any data or outcomes that may disagree with or challenge their conclusions, or if you are actively discouraged from considering other data or points of view, that’s a very concerning red flag.
• If they try to equate patient surveys or individual case studies with actual long term, double blinded clinical research. That difference should be acknowledged and there should be a healthy respect for the difference between anecdotal evidence and actual research.
• Pressuring you to ask another doctor to order specific blood tests, rather than ordering the tests themselves. This is considered highly unethical, as doctors are professionally responsible for the tests that they order. If they order a given test, they must have some idea of what they will do if that test comes back abnormal. If a test does come back abnormal and they fail to act, that is a form of medical malpractice. For that and many other similar reasons, it is not ethical for one doctor to get another to order tests for them, either directly or indirectly via coercion of the patient.
• Beware of loners/outliers, especially if they make claims of persecution of conspiracies. Meaning, if there seems to be a wide consensus of information from a wide variety of reliable sources, yet “Bob’s Fat Research Institute” offers their own unique or even contradictory theories. It’s probably “Bob’s Institute” you should be wary of, not the vast consensus from tried and true scientific medical organizations. It’s all the more concerning if “Bob’s Institute” claims that they’re the victims of persecution, a code of silence, evil big pharmaceutical companies, or some other sort of vast conspiracy.
• If they adopt a “persecution complex”, as if they alone have all the answers and everyone – from your own doctor to the medical industry or “big pharma” – are somehow “out to get them”.
• Beware of hype. If it sounds too good to be true, it definitely is.
• Beware of doctors offering cure-alls. No one substance could possibly cure absolutely every ailment or every symptom you’re experiencing. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Look for contrary information and opinions. If you’re reading information from a doctor – or anyone – trying to convince you of a treatment or product, actively try to find out what the critics are saying. Ask yourself, “Is there another side to this story?”, “What do other people believe?”, “Is there a study that shows negative outcomes out there?”. Examine all sides of every story and see which one sounds more realistic, credible, and scientific.
• If a doctor has a history of suddenly moving from one state to another, without reasonable cause. This can be a sign of a quack trying to evade state-led investigations. It happens far more often than you might think.
• Be especially wary of anyone – especially doctors – selling or pressuring you into trying something because it’s “all natural”. Just because something is natural does NOT mean it’s safe! Think of it this way. If something is powerful enough to help you, isn’t it also powerful enough to hurt you? Cyanide is perfectly natural. Arsenic is perfectly natural. Both of them will still kill you. Even substances that aren’t dangerous alone could easily interact with medications you’re taking. Those interactions can be deadly! Always consult with your doctor before trying any new treatment. If someone’s trying to sell you a treatment without advising the same, be exceedingly wary!

• Doctors that request donations be given in their own personal name, rather than through a respected institution. By way of example, an actual doctor within the Dercum’s community requested that a wealthy individual include them by name in their will. Not a hospital, not a research institution, but the doctor’s own personal name, so that when that person died a large percentage of their estate would become that doctor’s own personal property. This doctor just expected the individual to trust that the funds would eventually be used for research. This is highly unethical and far outside the realm of standard procedure.
• Charging high fees for consultations.
• Not accepting or cooperating with medical insurance.
• Trying to offer medical advice in unusual online settings either for free or for a fee (which, incidentally, can be both dangerous and potentially illegal).
• If the doctor in question has a financial interest in their recommendations, but fails to disclose that fact. For instance, if a doctor recommends an experimental treatment from a company that they happen to own part of. Incidentally, failure to disclose such financial interests is a violation of law. That exact circumstance has happened in the Dercum’s community.
• Beware of any sources that are trying to sell you something, even if it appears helpful or well-intentioned. Sales ultimately end up distorting information in order to separate you from your money.
• Except in certain specific circumstances, any time a doctor tries to sell you something should give you pause. (Exceptions to this would include specialists that routinely sell medical equipment, e.g. podiatrists selling special orthotic shoes, orthopedists selling custom molded orthotics or boot casts, etc.)
• Beware of “institutes” that seem to be promoting a single individual. If they only ever advertise the research of a single doctor, that’s not a good sign.
• Don’t trust testimonials! The reason sites use testimonials is because they don’t have scientific data or actual clinical studies to back up their claims. As scientists say, the plural of anecdote is anecdotes, not data. Some anecdotal evidence is okay if it’s not advocating anything drastic or trying to separate you from your money. But don’t accept testimonials or anecdotal data as gospel or as a singular source.
• Be wary of “conferences” with huge price tags, that only include one participant organization or feature only one doctor. These are almost always scams that will not do you any good at all.
• Be especially wary of anyone selling or pressuring you into trying something because it’s “all natural”. Just because something is natural does NOT mean it’s safe! Think of it this way. If something is powerful enough to help you, isn’t it also powerful enough to hurt you? Cyanide is perfectly natural. Arsenic is perfectly natural. Both of them will still kill you. Even substances that aren’t dangerous alone could easily interact with medications you’re taking. Those interactions can be deadly! Always consult with your doctor before trying any new treatment. If someone’s trying to sell you a treatment without advising the same, be exceedingly wary!

• Doctors that request donations be given in their own personal name, rather than through a respected institution. By way of example, an actual doctor within the Dercum’s community requested that a wealthy individual include them by name in their will. Not a hospital, not a research institution, but the doctor’s own personal name, so that when that person died a large percentage of their estate would become that doctor’s own personal property. This doctor just expected the individual to trust that the funds would eventually be used for research. This is highly unethical and far outside the realm of standard procedure.
• Charging high fees for consultations.
• Not accepting or cooperating with medical insurance.
• Trying to offer medical advice in unusual online settings either for free or for a fee (which, incidentally, can be both dangerous and potentially illegal).
• If the doctor in question has a financial interest in their recommendations, but fails to disclose that fact. For instance, if a doctor recommends an experimental treatment from a company that they happen to own part of. Incidentally, failure to disclose such financial interests is a violation of law. That exact circumstance has happened in the Dercum’s community.
• Beware of any sources that are trying to sell you something, even if it appears helpful or well-intentioned. Sales ultimately end up distorting information in order to separate you from your money.
• Except in certain specific circumstances, any time a doctor tries to sell you something should give you pause. (Exceptions to this would include specialists that routinely sell medical equipment, e.g. podiatrists selling special orthotic shoes, orthopedists selling custom molded orthotics or boot casts, etc.)
• Beware of “institutes” that seem to be promoting a single individual. If they only ever advertise the research of a single doctor, that’s not a good sign.
• Don’t trust testimonials! The reason sites use testimonials is because they don’t have scientific data or actual clinical studies to back up their claims. As scientists say, the plural of anecdote is anecdotes, not data. Some anecdotal evidence is okay if it’s not advocating anything drastic or trying to separate you from your money. But don’t accept testimonials or anecdotal data as gospel or as a singular source.
• Be wary of “conferences” with huge price tags, that only include one participant organization or feature only one doctor. These are almost always scams that will not do you any good at all.
• Be especially wary of anyone selling or pressuring you into trying something because it’s “all natural”. Just because something is natural does NOT mean it’s safe! Think of it this way. If something is powerful enough to help you, isn’t it also powerful enough to hurt you? Cyanide is perfectly natural. Arsenic is perfectly natural. Both of them will still kill you. Even substances that aren’t dangerous alone could easily interact with medications you’re taking. Those interactions can be deadly! Always consult with your doctor before trying any new treatment. If someone’s trying to sell you a treatment without advising the same, be exceedingly wary!

• Any doctor or group who explicitly or implicitly discourages dissent, attempts to exclude those who disagree, or encourages followers to trust in them and them alone. Medical science is not a religion and should not be expected to be believed based on faith.
• If you can’t find any words of caution, be wary. If they specifically fail to mention any data or outcomes that may disagree with or challenge their conclusions, or if you are actively discouraged from considering other data or points of view, that’s a very concerning red flag.
• If any doctor or institution tries to equate patient surveys or individual case studies with actual long term, double blinded clinical research. That difference should be acknowledged and there should be a healthy respect for the difference between anecdotal evidence and actual research.
• Is the organization’s name accurate and does it reflect a professional approach to medicine, science, and ethics? Compare to organizations like the American Cancer Society or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Is the disease name that’s mentioned in the organization’s name accurate? This may sound silly or obvious, but many organizations are out there that don’t have a great enough understanding of science at their core to even accurately name themselves. That should give you great cause for concern. If even the name isn’t accurate, how could any research they produce be accurate as well? How could such inaccuracies possibly lead medical professionals to take the organization – or even the Dercum’s community at large – seriously?
• Beware of “institutes” that seem to be promoting a single individual. If they only ever advertise the research of a single doctor, that’s not a good sign.
• Beware of sources that are trying to sell you something, even if it appears helpful or well-intentioned. Sales ultimately end up distorting information in order to separate you from your money.
• Beware of outliers, especially if they make claims of persecution of conspiracies. Meaning, if there seems to be a wide consensus of information from a wide variety of reliable sources, yet “Bob’s Fat Research Institute” offers their own unique or even contradictory theories. It’s probably “Bob’s Institute” you should be wary of, not the vast consensus from tried and true scientific medical organizations. It’s all the more concerning if “Bob’s Institute” claims that they’re the victims of persecution, a code of silence, evil big pharmaceutical companies, or some other sort of vast conspiracy.
• Don’t believe conspiracy theories! They’re there to distract you from a lack of verifiable data.
• Beware of hype. If it sounds too good to be true, it definitely is.
• Beware of cure-alls. No one substance could possibly cure absolutely every ailment or every symptom you’re experiencing. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Don’t trust testimonials! The reason sites use testimonials is because they don’t have scientific data or actual clinical studies to back up their claims. As scientists say, the plural of anecdote is anecdotes, not data. Some anecdotal evidence is okay if it’s not advocating anything drastic or trying to separate you from your money. But don’t accept testimonials or anecdotal data as gospel or as a singular source.
• Look for contrary information and opinions. If you’re reading information from someone trying to convince you of a treatment or product, actively try to find out what the critics are saying. Ask yourself, “Is there another side to this story?”, “What do other people believe?”, “Is there a study that shows negative outcomes out there?”. Examine all sides of every story and see which one sounds more realistic, credible, and scientific.
• Don’t trust friend-of-a-friend urban legends.
• Be especially wary of anyone selling or pressuring you into trying something because it’s “all natural”. Just because something is natural does NOT mean it’s safe! Think of it this way. If something is powerful enough to help you, isn’t it also powerful enough to hurt you? Cyanide is perfectly natural. Arsenic is perfectly natural. Both of them will still kill you. Even substances that aren’t dangerous alone could easily interact with medications you’re taking. Those interactions can be deadly! Always consult with your doctor before trying any new treatment. If someone’s trying to sell you a treatment without advising the same, be exceedingly wary!
• Don’t give in to group-think. It’s all too easy for groups to become echo chambers. I’ve personally witnessed a great deal of bullying and coercion within Dercum’s support groups. It breaks my heart. Anyone who dares express words of caution against the latest health fad, anyone who voices a contrary word against someone trying to sell the latest natural cure, they all too quickly become targets. Please remember, healthy skepticism is exactly that – healthy! We all have to remember to use our common sense to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Don’t let your group fall into the trap of desperation and end up bullying, hurting, or excluding others.

• Any doctor or group who explicitly or implicitly discourages dissent, attempts to exclude those who disagree, or encourages followers to trust in them and them alone. Medical science is not a religion and should not be expected to be believed based on faith.
• If you can’t find any words of caution, be wary. If they specifically fail to mention any data or outcomes that may disagree with or challenge their conclusions, or if you are actively discouraged from considering other data or points of view, that’s a very concerning red flag.
• If any doctor or institution tries to equate patient surveys or individual case studies with actual long term, double blinded clinical research. That difference should be acknowledged and there should be a healthy respect for the difference between anecdotal evidence and actual research.
• Is the organization’s name accurate and does it reflect a professional approach to medicine, science, and ethics? Compare to organizations like the American Cancer Society or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Is the disease name that’s mentioned in the organization’s name accurate? This may sound silly or obvious, but many organizations are out there that don’t have a great enough understanding of science at their core to even accurately name themselves. That should give you great cause for concern. If even the name isn’t accurate, how could any research they produce be accurate as well? How could such inaccuracies possibly lead medical professionals to take the organization – or even the Dercum’s community at large – seriously?
• Beware of “institutes” that seem to be promoting a single individual. If they only ever advertise the research of a single doctor, that’s not a good sign.
• Beware of sources that are trying to sell you something, even if it appears helpful or well-intentioned. Sales ultimately end up distorting information in order to separate you from your money.
• Beware of outliers, especially if they make claims of persecution of conspiracies. Meaning, if there seems to be a wide consensus of information from a wide variety of reliable sources, yet “Bob’s Fat Research Institute” offers their own unique or even contradictory theories. It’s probably “Bob’s Institute” you should be wary of, not the vast consensus from tried and true scientific medical organizations. It’s all the more concerning if “Bob’s Institute” claims that they’re the victims of persecution, a code of silence, evil big pharmaceutical companies, or some other sort of vast conspiracy.
• Don’t believe conspiracy theories! They’re there to distract you from a lack of verifiable data.
• Beware of hype. If it sounds too good to be true, it definitely is.
• Beware of cure-alls. No one substance could possibly cure absolutely every ailment or every symptom you’re experiencing. Again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Don’t trust testimonials! The reason sites use testimonials is because they don’t have scientific data or actual clinical studies to back up their claims. As scientists say, the plural of anecdote is anecdotes, not data. Some anecdotal evidence is okay if it’s not advocating anything drastic or trying to separate you from your money. But don’t accept testimonials or anecdotal data as gospel or as a singular source.
• Look for contrary information and opinions. If you’re reading information from someone trying to convince you of a treatment or product, actively try to find out what the critics are saying. Ask yourself, “Is there another side to this story?”, “What do other people believe?”, “Is there a study that shows negative outcomes out there?”. Examine all sides of every story and see which one sounds more realistic, credible, and scientific.
• Don’t trust friend-of-a-friend urban legends.
• Be especially wary of anyone selling or pressuring you into trying something because it’s “all natural”. Just because something is natural does NOT mean it’s safe! Think of it this way. If something is powerful enough to help you, isn’t it also powerful enough to hurt you? Cyanide is perfectly natural. Arsenic is perfectly natural. Both of them will still kill you. Even substances that aren’t dangerous alone could easily interact with medications you’re taking. Those interactions can be deadly! Always consult with your doctor before trying any new treatment. If someone’s trying to sell you a treatment without advising the same, be exceedingly wary!
• Don’t give in to group-think. It’s all too easy for groups to become echo chambers. I’ve personally witnessed a great deal of bullying and coercion within Dercum’s support groups. It breaks my heart. Anyone who dares express words of caution against the latest health fad, anyone who voices a contrary word against someone trying to sell the latest natural cure, they all too quickly become targets. Please remember, healthy skepticism is exactly that – healthy! We all have to remember to use our common sense to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Don’t let your group fall into the trap of desperation and end up bullying, hurting, or excluding others.

Trust your gut instinct. Does it sound too good to be true? Does something just not feel right? It never hurts to be cautious and careful. When it doubt, get a second opinion from another trusted doctor. It just might save your life.