The Guardian is particularly strong when it comes to exposing pseudoscience, such as the bogus cause of "Intelligent Design". I urge you to read today a long piece by Ben Goldacre, entitled "A Menace to Science", about a lady called Dr Gillian McKeith PhD. "To anyone who knows the slightest bit about science," writes Goldacre, "this woman is a bad joke."
I know nothing about the science of clinical nutrition, but I can recognise when the cause of reason asserts itself, and so it does here. All credit to the author and The Guardian, especially given the litigious record of the subject. I came across this fact indirectly a few months ago. Goldacre notes: "A charming but - forgive me - obscure blogger called PhDiva made some relatively innocent comments about nutritionists, mentioning McKeith, and received a letter threatening costly legal action from Atkins Solicitors, 'the reputation and brand-management specialists'." The blogger, Dorothy King, who is indeed charming, responded, I think, with good sense and great dignity here. She also mentioned in passing my own experience last year of having rebuffed a libel writ, and if this gave her any encouragement then I'm glad of it. (I explained to her that the claim against me was an abuse of process and was therefore struck out by the Court. Her test was very much sterner.)
UPDATE: Wonderful news. Dorothy's cat now has a PhD from the same institution that awarded Gillian McKeith's. Congratulations to Phaedria the kitten.
