The National Health Federation (NHF) is a lobbying group which promotes

natural medicine Naturopathy, or naturopathic medicine, is a form of alternative medicine. A wide array of pseudoscientific practices branded as "natural", "non-invasive", or promoting "self-healing" are employed by its practitioners, who are known as naturop ...

. The NHF is based in California and describes its mission as protecting individuals' rights to use dietary supplements and alternative therapies without government restriction. The NHF also opposes mainstream public-health measures such as

water fluoridation Water fluoridation is the controlled adjustment of fluoride to a public water supply solely to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water contains fluoride at a level that is effective for preventing cavities; this can occur naturally or by adding ...

and compulsory childhood vaccines. The NHF was founded by Fred J. Hart in 1955, after he was ordered by the

U.S. Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

to cease marketing fraudulent

radionics Radionics—also called electromagnetic therapy (EMT) and the Abrams Method—is a form of alternative medicine that claims that disease can be diagnosed and treated by applying electromagnetic radiation (EMR), such as radio waves, to the bod ...

devices. Mainstream medical organizations have criticized the NHF for promoting dubious alternative cancer treatments and health claims; the American Cancer Society recommends that cancer patients avoid products promoted by the NHF, while

Quackwatch Quackwatch is a United States-based website, self-described as a "network of people" founded by Stephen Barrett, which aims to "combat health-related frauds, myths, fads, fallacies, and misconduct" and to focus on "quackery-related information th ...

describes the NHF as "antagonistic to accepted scientific methods as well as to current consumer-protection law."

History and activities

The National Health Federation was founded in 1955 by Fred J. Hart. He promoted

devices. Hart founded the NHF to ensure free expression of health alternatives as well as disagreeing with the

compelling his company to cease marketing FDA non-authorized devices for medical treatment. Over the years, the NHF has promoted a range of alternative cancer therapies, including

laetrile Amygdalin (from Ancient Greek: ' "almond") is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in many plants, most notably in the seeds (kernels) of apricots, bitter almonds, apples, peaches, cherries, and plums. Amygdalin is classified as a ...

. According to its website, the NHF fought and won the battle for mandatory inspection of poultry, coordinated a drive to help

chiropractor Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the spine. It has esoteric origins and is based on several pseudoscien ...

s become legally licensed in the United States, waged a campaign against

, and advocated legislative recognition of

acupuncture Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scientif ...

in the United States. The Federation has collaborated with European consumer organizations and political parties in a campaign demanding that the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

(EU) accept the outcome of a referendum in Ireland on the

Lisbon Treaty The Treaty of Lisbon (initially known as the Reform Treaty) is an international agreement that amends the two treaties which form the constitutional basis of the European Union (EU). The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed by the EU member sta ...

. In the 1990s, the Federation lobbied on behalf of consumers and manufacturers to pass the

Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 ("DSHEA"), is a 1994 statute of United States Federal legislation which defines and regulates dietary supplements. Under the act, supplements are regulated by the FDA for Good Manufacturing ...

(DSHEA), which put into place government quality controls of dietary supplements, health claims, good manufacturing practices and oversight by the Food and Drug Administration. The organization has promoted claims that under certain conditions vaccines were dangerous, fought to market untested and unproven health products, and lobbied against

. The organization publishes a quarterly newsletter, ''Health Freedom News''. It has membership in 22 countries and has observer status at meetings of the

Codex Alimentarius Commission The Codex Alimentarius () is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines, and other recommendations published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations relating to food, food production ...

, the highest international body on food standards. Scott Tips is the current president for the National Health Federation. He is a California-licensed attorney and former Managing Editor of the

California Law Review ''California Law Review'' (also referred to as ''CLR'') is the journal of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. It was established in 1912. The application process consists of an anonymous write-on competition, with grades playing ...

, and is a contributor to WholeFoods Magazine. Some current and former members of the NHF have been convicted of fraud related to marketing questionable medical supplements and devices, while several physicians in NHF leadership positions have had their medical licenses revoked.

Reception

Several independent sources have described the National Health Federation as a fringe lobbying group or as a promoter of dubious and unproven medical claims and devices. The ''McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine'' defines the NHF as a "fringe medicine organization that exerts political pressure to secure 'health freedom' and 'freedom of medical choice' on behalf of alternative medicine practitioners, their families, and 'health food' consumers." The American Cancer Society, noting that the NHF is "not a medical or scientific body," recommended that "persons with cancer avoid the therapies and products promoted by the National Health Federation for the treatment of cancer."

calls NHF "an alliance of promoters and followers who engage in lobbying campaigns... and uses the words 'alternative,' and 'freedom' to suit its own purposes," adding that "NHF is antagonistic to accepted scientific methods as well as to current consumer-protection law."

References

External links

TheNHF.com
- National Health Federation website {{authority control Alternative medicine organizations Medical and health organizations based in California