User talk:Khamar/draft article on Paul Offit

Considerations for Addition
Interviews and Reviews

Notes derived from a recent interview of Dr. Offit.

Offit trained in pediatrics at Children s Hospital of Pittsburgh and also Children s Hospital of Philadelphia fellowship with Dr. Stanley Placket co-inventor of rubella vaccine. Offit worked with a group that developed a vaccine for Rotavirus. The virus was known to cause up to 2000 deaths per day in the developing word.
 * present in current article

Rotavirus is a virus that infects the small intestine causing fever and diarrhea. Almost everyone gets this virus before age five. Rotavirus vaccine is given by mouth at two, four, and six months of age.
 * not notable/specific to Offit. Information belongs in a rotavirus article. Kyle(talk) 09:23, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

Now the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
 * present in current article

New book: Do You Believe in Magic?
 * present in current article

Writing for the general public
Offit is trying to write for the general public. How should you approach alternative medicine? Megavitamins are strongly questioned in the book. Taking large quantities of antioxidants does not decrease the risk of cancer and heart disease; but instead increases the risk. Vitamins are not regulated and the FDA does not challenge companies on efficacy. With the regulation by FDA, data often does not exist to monitor and understand vitamin risk.
 * book review material, probably not suitable for inclusion in the Offit article. Kyle(talk) 09:23, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

One study showed that giving antioxidants to people of higher risk showed a 46% increase in the rate of cancer. Drugs found to increase risk are immediately pulled from the market. Unless you read the New England Journal of Medicine or Journal of the American Medical Association you will not hear about it.
 * Factually sound but not notable material originating from or about Offit. I'm not sure how to include this, so perhaps it should not be present. Kyle(talk) 09:23, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

Wall Street Journal "Is this the end of popping vitamins?"
 * Article seems interesting but not related to Offit. Kyle(talk) 09:23, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

Offit: "1994 Health and Education act should be overturned"
 * Offit is prone to controversy, often based in strong statements supported by factual information. Consideration must be given to avoid the pulling-in of controversial subjects to WP. Left for further discussion. Kyle(talk) 09:23, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

Acupuncture needles
Offit notes that a friend tried many things medically for back pain before acupuncture provided some relief. Offit found that people who claimed to get better from acupuncture found improvement without regard to where the needle was used. There is a physiological process that works with placebo medicine. Placebo response is interesting and many books have been written on such evidence. More than 80 deaths are recorded from acupuncture.
 * Again, quoting studies by other people is interesting book material but not specific to Offit.Kyle(talk) 09:23, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

Chiropractic
The basis for improvement is the correction of misalignment of the spine. Offit sees some benefit from spending more time with patients, perhaps massage, and also some risk from chiropractic adjustments that may result in harm.

Homeopath
There is some argument that the homeopath is unlikely to harm you where something as simple as a cough and cold medicine might hurt you. Offit says you should remain skeptical of non-traditional medicine and also traditional medicine to make sure the treatment received has merit.
 * Opinion noted, but not noteworthy.

Offit had micro fracture surgery on the left knee. He was recommended to take Chondroitin sulfate. If you look at the data on people who have arthritis of the knee, this treatment makes no difference in outcome. The $34 Billion dollar industry makes many suggestions, often without regard to improvement for the patient.
 * Probably true, but this page is not to promote the argument.

Samuel Honeman founded Homeopathy in 1790s wrote a major treatise called the Organan in 1796. This was 15 years before avagadro's number. If dilution is greater than 10^23, the substance is no longer present. Honeman did not know this.
 * Great educational information, probably not specific enough to Offit for inclusion.

Avoiding public events
Offit does not do book tours. He is uncomfortable in public due to the vaccine stuff. There are angry and mean spirited people. Offit avoids public events due to these problems, hate mail, and death threats.

Book reviews
Excerpt of book in "the atlantic" Book was reviewed in NY Times, Washington Post, and Boston Globe.
 * good reference material for noteworthy book.

Web Paul-offit.com
 * contains videos; gupta and inside edition

Offit hates the promotion part of writing a book. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Khamar (talk • contribs) 08:51, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

I find the quotes on this page compelling, just not sure how I would incorporate them into the article yet, http://biojobsblog.com/2009/03/04/on-vaccines-and-autism/ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Khamar (talk • contribs) 08:24, 18 December 2013 (UTC)