Goop doctor says she’s not really Goop’s doctor, calls site a … – Ars Technica

A doctor who appeared to vouch for and defend Gwyneth Paltrows high-profile lifestyle and e-commerce site, Goop, now says that she does not see herself as a Goop doctor and would not endorse the site, according to an interview with Stat.

The post was written in response to a wave of online criticism from journalists, medical professionals, and patient advocates, particularlyblogger Dr. Jen Gunter, an Ob/Gyn who has written often about Goop.

Under a heading that included our doctors, Romm appeared firmly connected to Goop and its mission. But, in an interview published online Thursday on Stat, Romm said she doesnt see herself as one of Goops doctors and doesnt pay enough attention to know whats on the site. She refused to endorse Goop and, in fact, expressed criticism of it. Romm suggested that the site is a caricature of everything alternative health for women. She advised the Goop team to re-evaluate all of the sites products and recommendations with the help of doctors.

I cant endorse Goop, in that... just because [products are] natural or organic, doesnt mean that theyre beneficial for women, she told Stat. Just because it hasnt been proven harmful and its natural doesnt mean its safe. We cant just say that thats sort of the default position.

You cant just say its better than conventional medicine. If its wrong, its wrong.

Romm explained that she was sympathetic to women who are dissatisfied with conventional medicine. And she stressed that she wasnt disavowing Goop and said that there was no justification to dismiss alternative medicine in general. But she noted that just because women seek alternatives doesnt mean alternatives are good.

That said, Romm, a Yale-educated doctor, sells her own line of proprietary herbal supplements, includingAdrena soothe and Adrena nourish. She also espouses detoxing, which is not supported by science.

In the Stat interview, Dr. Romm said she wasnt concerned that her medical credentials might appear to lend support to unproven and unscientific theories and products, such as her own or those on Goop. She replied that she essentially saw herself as an independent contributor to the site and was open to patients trying harmless products that arent too expensive if they want.

She also seemed comfortable with the for-profit aspect of the health advice she and Goop offer. Goop is certainly commercial, Romm said, adding I have to make a living, too.

Dr. Romm elaborated:

I think Gwyneth Paltrow was a fabulous actress in her day of acting, and Im not a sort of advocate or antagonist of her work. I understand that she is probably a very decent person, trying to do good work, and [she] does things that feel meaningful to her. And, yes, theres a commercial aspect to it, [but] theres nothing that doesnt have a commercial aspect to it, unless youre a saint doing medical work.

The interview ended with Romm noting that drug companies also make lots of money.

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Goop doctor says she's not really Goop's doctor, calls site a ... - Ars Technica