Dr Xand's Con or Cure

Original version

BBC One North West

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

The facts, not the fakes, about your health.

The facts, not the fakes, about your health with Dr Xand van Tulleken and Ashley John-Baptiste. From social media scams to health scares, they'll shine a light on bad medicine.

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Alexander van Tulleken

Ashley John-Baptiste

Richard Collier

Brendan Hughes

Karen Donnelly

Angela MacMillan

Dr Xand's Con or Cure: Series 1: Episode 8

Episode 8

BBC One - Dr Xand's Con or Cure, Series 1, Episode 8

The scammers cashing in on long Covid, and the truth about exercise and weight loss.

The scammers cashing in on long Covid, the con artists treating mental health as a money-making scheme, and the truth about exercise and weight loss. 

We all know that exercise is good for us, but how much exercise and what type works best is not always as clear. Is there a simple answer? Shockingly, we discover that exercise might not actually help you lose weight.

Plus, long Covid. 2.2 million people in the UK are suffering from it. Joanna Herman is a consultant in infectious diseases and suffers from long Covid herself. She struggles with everyday chores, and after 33 months, is still unable to return to work. 

Also, We hear from Mariella Spring, the BBC’s Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent, advising us on how to navigate the world of social media.

We also explore the world of hay fever. We look into what really works when it comes to the seasonal sneezing and snot-fest, and find out why local honey isn’t the cure many believe it to be.

And, we investigate the unregulated world of therapists. With no qualifications or certification needed to legally call yourself a therapist, it’s an industry rife with scam practitioners. We meet Jake and Laura, who struggle with mental health issues. When they tried to get help, they were given bogus treatment that not only cost them hundreds of pounds but caused them more harm than good. 

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