October 22, 2021 and February 16, 2024
 
Over the past 4.5 years, I have answered many questions about this woman. As is often the case, she looks sincere, but conveys a very ambiguous message with great confidence and authority (see point #1 below). We can agree with some elements of her message, but they are mixed with false and misleading ideas. People who have little scientific knowledge and a penchant for claiming "natural healing" accept this as the "real" message about health.
 
Here are my biggest concerns after several hours of listening to her video and a thorough investigation:
 
1. Barbara O'Neill is very disingenuous in her statements about her education. She claims to be a nurse, a naturopath, and a nutritionist, but none of this is true. You can view the 18-page statement of the HCCC. This is a very informative document that is publicly available in Australia. (Wikipedia quotes this)
2. The Australian Government's (HCCC) investigation into Barbara O'Neill was conducted based on complaints received by them. After a thorough investigation, she is legally prohibited from sanctifying nutrition and healthy lifestyle issues in Australia, hence her move to the United States.
3. Due to the questionable nature of her seminars and practices at Misty Mountain Retreat, the South Pacific Division did not recommend her as a speaker for several years. Much of what she teaches (for example, the basic principles of a healthy lifestyle) is good to a certain extent, but often the rationale for this information is erroneous, based on misinformation or pure science fiction. Most likely, this is due to her lack of scientific training and the prejudices introduced by the philosophy of naturopathy. For her to be right, textbooks on physiology, biochemistry and nutrition will have to be radically rewritten!
4. There is a common feature in her speeches: a desire to "return to nature" and a lot of referencesto "antiquity", probably arising from her study of materials on naturopathy.
5. She is an ardent advocate of "detoxification," arguing that all the environmental poisons we are exposed to cause most diseases. She says they come from the foods we eat, cleaning products, toothpaste, and many other "scary" sources.
6. She strongly supports a full vegetarian diet, but does not believe in fortified foods or B12 supplements.
7. She often claims that once you fix your lifestyle, all diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer, will be cured.
8. She talks a lot about hormone balance and death from "synthetic" hormones. She actively promotes the use of Australian yam cream to restore balance, without conducting any research to confirm the effectiveness of this product.
9. She has opposed any vaccines for many years, but is currently leading a "crusade" against COVID-19 vaccines, based mainly on misinformation that is widespread on social media.
 
For these reasons, we cannot recommend her as a speaker for churches or any congregations.
 

Fred Harding, Doctor of Public Health

Nutrition and Lifestyle Specialist

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

www.healthministries.com