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| ===Anti-vaccination Views=== | ===Anti-vaccination Views=== | ||
| O'Neill discouraged immunization, claiming that vaccines are unnecessary.{{R|"micro"}} In one of her YouTube videos, she stated that |
O'Neill discouraged immunization, claiming that vaccines are unnecessary.{{R|"micro"}} In one of her YouTube videos, she stated that "children can be naturally vaccinated against tetanus by drinking plenty of water, going to bed early, not eating junk food and running around the hills".{{R|shonky}} She further claimed, without evidence, that "neurotoxins in vaccines have caused an epidemic of ADHD, autism, epilepsy and cot death". O’Neill has campaigned against the Australian ] pro-immunisation initiative.{{R|"micro"}} | ||
| ===Antibiotics=== | ===Antibiotics=== | ||
Revision as of 00:46, 14 October 2019
“This is not a Misplaced Pages article: It is an individual user’s work in progress page, and may be incomplete and or unreliable.”
Barbara O’Neill
Banned naturopath and lecturer
| Barbara O’Neill | |
|---|---|
 Barbara O'Neill in 2018 | |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Trainee nurse |
| Alma mater | North Ryde Psychiatric Centre |
| Occupation(s) | Naturopath and Lecturer |
| Years active | 2004-present |
| Known for | A naturopath banned from providing health services in Australia |
| Spouse | Michael O’Neill |
Barbara O'Neill is a naturopath and lecturer on health issues who, in 2019, was banned for life by the New South Wales Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) from providing free or paid health services for life from providing health services The ban followed an HCCC investigation which found she lacked any health related degree, diploma, or membership an accredited health organization. It also found that she provided dangerous, unsupported health advice to vulnerable groups. This included advising parents to feed their infants goat milk or almond milk blended with dates or banana instead of formula, and recommending that cancer patients forgo chemotherapy in favor of baking soda wraps.{R|"micro"}}
Health Advice
Although O'Neill promoted her services as a naturopath, nutritionist, and health educator for at least 15 years, she lacked relevant credentials and was not a member of any accredited health organization.
She ran the Misty Mountain Health Retreat in New South Wales with her husband, charging clients up to A$3,100 (Australian) per week for treatments and health retreats. She also provided for-fee telephone consultations.
She has a large YouTube following, with about 700,000 views as of 2019. Her speaking venues have also included Seventh Day Adventist Church events. She has provided health retreats and wellness programs in Australia as well as the US.
Cancer
According the HCCC investigate, O'Neill falsely claimed to be able to cure cancer and urged patients not to use chemotherapy.
O'Neill promoted the discredited claim that cancer is a fungus. She urged her clients to treat their cancer with baking soda wraps and claimed, without evidence, that one doctor had cured 90% of his patients' cancer with baking soda injections.
She also encouraged her clients to treat their cancer with probiotics and by avoiding fruit and what for six weeks.{R|"micro"}}
Anti-vaccination Views
O'Neill discouraged immunization, claiming that vaccines are unnecessary. In one of her YouTube videos, she stated that "children can be naturally vaccinated against tetanus by drinking plenty of water, going to bed early, not eating junk food and running around the hills". She further claimed, without evidence, that "neurotoxins in vaccines have caused an epidemic of ADHD, autism, epilepsy and cot death". O’Neill has campaigned against the Australian No Jab No Pay pro-immunisation initiative.
Antibiotics
In several of her YouTube videos, O'Neill discouraged the use of antibiotics, claiming, without evidence, that they cause cancer.{R|"micro"}} She told pregnant women it was unnecessary to take antibiotics for streptococcus B because "no baby has ever died from Strep B catching out of birth". This is untrue.
However, the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' statistics 14% of newborns who contract early-onset Strep B die, and that antibiotics can shrink this risk dramatically.
Dietary Advice on Infants
O'Neill's has recommended that parents who are unable to breastfeed feed their infant use substitutes besides formula. These have included unpasteurized goat milk. and a mix of almond milk and dates or bananas. Co-author of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Australian infant feeding guidelines, Professor Jane Scott, has stated this advice is "definitely not safe,” and that “there is a real danger here for infants as these will not support healthy growth and development."
O'Neill also states that parents should not feed their children solid food or grains until their molars have emerged.
She has stated this nutrition advice is based solely on her personal experience.
HCCC Investigation
Between October 2018 and January 2019, the New South Wales HCCC received a large number of complaints about O'Neill's health advice.{R|"davey"}} The HCCC opened an investigation of O'Neill.{R|"davey"}} These included a complaint that the advice she provided regarding infant nutrition could cause death if followed.
The Commission found that some of her recommendations were based on ideas espoused by Tullio Simoncini, a former oncologist incarcerated following a conviction for fraud and manslaughter following the death of one of his patients. Some of guidance was based on the views of doctors who were sued by patients for not providing appropriate treatment. When the HCCC noted these facts to O'Neill she stated she still intended to use their advice.
The HCCC also found that O'Neill had not maintained records on the advice she provided to clients.
O'Neill claimed that she was merely providing clients with information, rather than advice. She further stated that the evident provided was evidence-based, and that she had not claimed to be able to cure cancer.
The HCCC ultimately concluded that "Mrs O’Neill does not recognise that she is misleading vulnerable people including mothers and cancer sufferers by providing very selective information.” It further concluded that “The misinformation has huge potential to have a detrimental effect on the health of individuals as Mrs O’Neill discourages mainstream treatment for cancer, antibiotics and vaccination,”
The HCCC banned O'Neill for life from providing health services, regardless of whether she accepted payment for doing so.
Following the decision, a petition was circulated calling for the HCCC to reverse its decision. As of October 2019, the petition had 36,000 signatures.
Following the Investigation
Although she has been banned from providing health advice in Australia, O'Neill's website states that "Barbara O’Neill, author, educator, naturopath and nutritionist (retired), is… available for public speaking to companies, community groups, or churches outside of Australia and is sure to please those looking for motivation to live a longer, healthier and happier life.”
In late 2019, O’Neill and her husband’s Misty Mountain Health Retreat came under investigation by the ACNC for alleged breaches to charity law. Under its charitable status the Retreat had received government grants and various tax concessions. In defending that status, the Retreat had claimed it had provided diet, exercise and health advice to Aboriginal and TSI people and people with chronic and terminal illnesses.
References
- ^ Media release (24 September 2019). "Mrs Barbara O'Neill – Breaches of Code of Conduct: full Public Statement of Decision". Health Care Complaints Commission. NSW Government. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019.
- ^ Scholefield, Antony (4 October 2019). "'Naturopath' banned over bicarb soda cancer cure claims". AusDoc.PLUS. Australian Doctor Group. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Elder, John (5 October 2019). "Shonky naturopaths claimed to cure cancer: Banned for life, still advertising". The New Daily. Melbourne VIC: Motion Publishing. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019.
- ^ Lothian-McLean, Moya (4 October 2019). "Naturopath who advised bicarbonate of soda as a cancer cure banned by health watchdog". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019.
- ^ Davey, Melissa (3 October 2019). "Naturopath who said bicarbonate soda cures cancer banned for life by health watchdog". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019.
- ^ Davey, Melissa (10 October 2019). "Health retreat run by banned wellness coach Barbara O'Neill under investigation". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019.
{{cite news}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 11 October 2019 suggested (help) - Hansen, Jane (14 April 2019). "Anti-vax naturopath banned after watchdog puts bite on her claims". The Daily Telegraph. NSW: News Corp. Archived from the original on 7 October 2019.
- ^ Hansen, Jane (30 December 2018). "Naturopath's cancer 'healing' claims under the microscope". The Daily Telegraph. NSW: News Corp. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
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External links
- HCCC - Statement of decision (pdf) on Mrs Barbara O’Neill - 24 Sept 2019
C ategory:Living people C ategory:Anti-vaccination activists C ategory:Cancer pseudoscience C ategory:Australian fraudsters Ca tegory:Health fraud Cat egory:Medical scandals in Australia Cate gory:Place of birth missing (living people) Categ ory:Date of birth missing (living people)