#1255: T.S. Wiley

Teresa S. Wiley is the author of Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar and Survival and Sex, Lies and Menopause, the topics of which are women’s health and hormonal issues. She has no remotely relevant background (even her alleged BA in anthropology turned out to be unsubstantiated), yet has nevertheless developed her own version of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, known as the Wiley Protocol, which has received some popularity after being advocated by flaky celebrities such as Suzanne Somers (who, needless to say, have no qualifications either). The protocol has no scientific tests or evidence to support it, and it does put women’s health at risk through dangerously high doses of hormones. You can read some criticisms here, and there is a website devoted to neutral investigation of the protocol here.

You already know something fishy is up when she claims that hormone imbalances, which cause many age-related diseases, are caused by humans straying from “natural” rhythms of light, seasonal eating and child birth –  references to imbalances of humors and appeals to nature being of course a familiar foundation for all things woo. It is, apparently, because of the appeal of imbalances and nature that Wiley doesn’t need evidence; it should just be obvious that she’s right. Which is precisely how crankery works.

Diagnosis: Hard to tell whether she’s a loon, really. Wiley is rather woolly when it comes to guaranteeing outcomes, so one wonders what confidence she has in her own protocol. Whether she’s a crank, however, is a no-brainer.