Why Health Professionals Become Quacks

“Just as Old Testament prophets called for conversion and repentance, doctors have to ‘convert’ patients away from smoking, obesity, stress, alcohol and other indulgences… As prognosticators, doctors foretell what is going to happen if patients don’t change their way of life. The prophet role provides power over people. Some doctors consciously avoid it. They encourage patients to be self-reliant rather than dependent, but in doing so they may fail to meet important emotional needs. Quacks, on the other hand, revel in, encourage, and exploit this power.” One of several reasons compiled by William T. Jarvis. —Why Health Professionals Become QuacksQuackWatch)