Reviewed By David M. Kinchen

BOOK REVIEW: Drugged Up America and How to Overcome It Explored in What the Drug Companies Won't Tell You and Your Doctor Doesn't Know

Once upon a time, drug companies promised drugs to treat disease. Now it is often just the opposite. They promote diseases to fit their drugs. -- Marcia Angell, M.D., former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine and author of The Truth About Drug Companies

As I sat down at my computer to review Dr. Michael T. Murray's What the Drug Companies Won't Tell You and Your Doctor Doesn't Know (Atria Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint, 352 pages, $25), the news of Michael Jackson's death at the age of 50 came blasting out of the broadcast and print channels.

Another Dr. Murray -- no relation to Michael Murray -- Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's 51-year-old personal physician -- figures in the torrent of words about the death in Los Angeles of the so-called "King of Pop." Reuters reported that the death of the music and cultural icon from cardiac arrest on June 25 "has raised a host of questions about what might have caused it [the cardiac arrest]....One possible cause reported by celebrity website TMZ.com is that he was injected with the potent painkiller Demerol before he went into cardiac arrest. Others speculate it was a combination of Demerol and Oxycontin, another powerful painkiller that is among the most commonly abused prescription drugs."

(Here's a link to a New York Times story focusing on the possible role of medication in Michael Jackson's death: "Medication is a Focus of Jackson Inquiry")

Author Murray, one of the nation's leading practitioners and authorities on natural medicine, argues in his well-documented work that much of our current health crisis was created by the pharmaceutical and medical industries. He offers a practical guide to holistic treatments that he believes are a better alternative to the plethora of drugs offered to treat the most common diseases that plague our society -- drugs that he says are often not only ineffective, but result in serious, widespread side effects -- "the existence of which is frequently hidden from the public."

In between news coverage of Michael Jackson's death and the seizure by the Los Angeles Police Department of Dr. Conrad Murray's silver BMW, I saw a TV ad for a prescription drug that promises women richer, fuller eyelashes...A classic example of a drug created for what I believe is a non-existent disease.

Author Murray demonstrates to my satisfaction how a nationwide dependence on pills has hobbled heath in the U.S. -- a nation that, according to the World Health Organization, is 24th in terms of life expectancy -- and has resulted in a national wellness epidemic as lifestyle, ignorance, and politics collide in our medicine cabinets.

WHO says Americans use more than 40 percent of all the prescription drugs produced in the world each year, Murray writes. This is at a time when adverse reactions to over-the-counter and prescription drugs are estimated to kill more than 100,000 Americans a year -- the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. behind cancer, heart disease and stroke.

Younger readers might be surprised to learn that there was a time when prescription drug advertising was prohibited on TV, radio and in general circulation publications. Today, drug companies -- Big Pharma -- spend twice as much on marketing as they do on research and development, Murray writes.

With about 700,000 practicing physicians in the U.S., Murray cites statistics that the drug industry spends about $60,000 in marketing dollars per physicians per year -- a whopping $57.5 billion a year. Many of these dollars are spent on the detail people -- the Ken and Barbie types -- who call on doctors throughout their work week. A physician friend of mine with a psychiatric practice in Beckley, West Virginia once told me he had to ration the appointments of drug detail sales people because he had run out of time to devote to his patients.

As the recipient of a doctorate in naturopathic medicine from Bastyr University near Seattle, Murray is oriented to natural medicine and products like St. John's wort extract, saw palmetto berry extract, glucosamine sulfate and fish oil -- among many others -- but he is not totally opposed to the use of antibiotics and other medicines. He is just opposed to the overdosing that he believes is endemic in American medicine. As a believer in alternative treatments, especially acupuncture and chiropractic, I'm inclined toward Murray's message.

Among the gems in the book are:

* During the past 50 years drug costs have sky rocketed at a rate five times the inflation rate

* Oral medications to treat Type 2 diabetes don't alter the long-term development of the disease

* Drugs like Paxil, Zoloft and Prozac contribute to obesity, but weight gain is not listed as a common side effect of these drugs

* It is estimated that 70 percent of patients with chronic daily headaches suffer from drug induced headaches

* * *

Murray suggests a seven-step program to "vibrant" health:

Step 1: Incorporate spirituality into your life

Step 2: Develop a positive mental attitude

Step 3: Focus on establishing positive relationships

Step 4: Follow a healthy lifestyle

Step 5: Be active and get regular physical exercise

Step 6: Eat a health-promoting diet

Step 7: Support your body through proper nutritional supplementation and body work

What the Drug Companies Won't Tell You and Your Doctor Doesn't Know rang true to me because I'm a believer in less is more when it comes to drugs. Those seeking a practical guide to the natural treatments that could revolutionize both your health and the well-being of the entire nation will find Murray's book an excellent guide to a healthy life, free from the poisonous effects of drugs that aren't needed.

About the author: Michael T. Murray is the author of more than 20 books on natural alternatives to health and well being and is currently a director of product development and education for Natural Factors, a major manufacturer of nutritional and herbal supplements. His website is: www.doctormurray.com

What The Drug Companies Won’t Tell You And Your Doctor Doesn’t Know: The Alternative Treatments That May Change Your Life—And The Prescriptions That Could Harm You (Atria Books/ 2009) by Michael T. Murray N.D.

Was Michael Jackson Addicted to Prescription Drugs?

The Truth Behind Michael Jackson’s Death

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