What happened to Barbara O’Neill? If this is what’s on your mind, you are in the right place.
In the constantly changing world of social media, it’s common for old stories and people to resurface, even those who were banned or criticized for severe wrongdoing. Barbara O’Neill is one such example.
She has returned to the spotlight despite facing scandals and being prohibited in 2019. This is worrying because she has a record of endorsing unproven and risky alternative medicines.
Previously, she misguided vulnerable patients by discouraging effective mainstream treatments like chemotherapy, vaccines, and traditional cancer therapies. She spreads misinformation that is harmful to patients. We will delve deeper into this topic in the post below.
About Barbara O’Neil
Barbara O’Neill, born on July 28, 1953, is an Australian alternative healthcare promoter notorious for endorsing unproven and dangerous health ideas and practices. She promoted these practices at numerous alternative medicine forums, events, and wellness retreats.
She is married to the founder of the Informed Medical Options Party, married to Michael O’Neill.
In 2019, she was banned by the Health Care Complaints Commission in New South Wales from offering any health-related services after receiving numerous complaints from both healthcare professionals and the general public.
Investigations revealed that she gave harmful advice to patients, such as telling cancer patients to skip chemotherapy in favor of bicarbonate of soda and recommending unpasteurized goat’s milk for infants. Furthermore, it was discovered that she lacked qualifications in any health-related field and failed to meet the standards expected of unregistered health professionals.
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Barbara O’Neill Activities
Since 2004, O’Neill has presented herself as a naturopath, health educator, and nutritionist despite needing the proper qualifications and training. She says her claims aren’t baseless, but when asked for proof by the Health Care Complaints Commission, she can’t provide any.
With her husband, she used to run the Misty Mountain Health Retreat near Kempsey, where they charged guests up to $8,800 per visit. She also offered phone consultations for a fee. On her website, O’Neill said she could help with things like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and tiredness through detox services.
Despite being told off by the HCCC, many people have watched videos of her talks over 700,000 times. She has also spoken at churches because she is part of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Although she can’t work at health retreats in Australia anymore, she still does them in the United States and New Zealand. She has also written books about food and health, but some people say they need to be more safe to follow.
After the HCCC told her off, O’Neill planned a wellness program in the United States, costing US$2,350 per person. Even now, in July 2023, she is still running programs for people with cancer in the United States, charging nearly $6,000 each. She also works in the Cook Islands.
Controversial Claims and Unsupported Therapies
An Australian alternative healthcare promoter, Barbara O’Neill, gained notoriety for promoting risky and unsubstantiated health approaches and concepts. Despite lacking recognized qualifications and having failed nursing training, she has presented these treatments at various alternative medicine events, wellness retreats, and Seventh-day Adventist Churches.
- Cancer Treatment
O’Neill made false assertions about being able to cure cancer and advised against chemotherapy. She endorsed the idea that cancer is a fungus curable with baking soda. She even claimed that a doctor had successfully treated 90% of his cancer patients using baking soda injections.
- Antibiotics and Infant Nutrition
O’Neill has advised against using antibiotics, falsely claiming they cause cancer. She’s gone as far as telling pregnant women that taking antibiotics for Strep B is unnecessary, claiming that babies don’t die from Strep B contracted during birth. Her recommendations for pregnant women and infant nutrition are not only incorrect but also dangerous. She suggested substituting breast milk with unpasteurized goat milk. This practice is labeled as “highly unsafe” by medical experts and doctors.
- Anti-vaccination Stance
O’Neill also discouraged people from taking vaccinations, claiming them to be harmful. Instead, she suggested absurd alternatives, like saying kids can naturally become immune to tetanus by drinking plenty of water. Her anti-vaccination stance has drawn significant criticism.
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Criminal Investigations
Between October 2018 and January 2019, the New South Wales Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) got complaints from regular people and health experts about O’Neill’s health advice. Some said her advice about feeding babies could be deadly if followed, and she admitted it wasn’t based on any proof.
The Commission discovered that some of her ideas came from Tullio Simoncini, who’s been in trouble for manslaughter and fraud. She also got ideas from doctors sued for not treating patients appropriately. When the HCCC told her this, she still used their advice.
They also found she needed to improve what health advice she could give based on her training. She didn’t keep records of the advice she gave, which she was supposed to do by law. Even though she said she had diplomas in dietetics, naturopathy, and nutrition, the HCCC said she had no health qualifications.
O’Neill said she was giving people information, not health advice, and she never said she could cure cancer.
Prohibition Order: What Happened To Barbara O’Neill?
The HCCC said O’Neill broke five rules for health practitioners and is a risk to public health. Therefore, they banned her from giving health advice or education in any way, even if she didn’t get paid for it.
The HCCC said they are watching her closely; this ban applies in several states. They said if her stuff is available online in those places, it’s still considered giving health advice. O’Neill didn’t like this decision and started a petition asking the HCCC to change its mind. She also said to the press that she was being mistreated, like in Nazi times.
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Australian Charities And Non-for-Profits Commission
In 2019, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission started looking into O’Neill and her husband’s Misty Mountain Health Retreat. They were checking if the Retreat broke any charity laws in Australia. The Retreat had a special status as a health promotion charity, which meant it got government grants and tax breaks.
The Retreat said it had advised on diet, exercise, and health to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those with long-term illnesses. They used to be called “The Aboriginal Healing Centre.”
Even though the HCCC said O’Neill couldn’t offer or advertise her services, she kept doing so on her website and the Misty Mountain Health Retreat’s site.
In 2019, Josephine Herman, the health secretary of the Cook Islands, got worried when she found out O’Neill was doing health workshops in Rarotonga. She asked the chief medical officer to check if O’Neill was allowed to do this kind of work. She was concerned because O’Neill might need the proper paperwork, like an annual certificate, to practice.
Where is Barbara O’Neil Now?
For those wondering where is Barbara O’Neill now – she is promoting her services overseas. With a massive following online, her talks have reached 700,000 viewers. In one of her speeches, she suggests that children can protect themselves from tetanus by drinking water, avoiding junk food, playing outside, and getting enough sleep.
A petition with 22,000 signatures protests the decision made by the HCCC. The petition on change.org argues that she’s facing unjust accusations and unfair treatment due to political and personal differences, with Australian Skeptics and Friends of Science in Medicine being criticized for their alleged bullying tactics.
She has also gained attention from Stephen Barrett of Quackwatch, who mentioned her in his Consumer Health Digest. She is set to lead a wellness program at the Living Springs Retreat in the US this October, with a fee of $2,350 per attendee.
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Final Words
Now you must have gotten aware of what happened to Barbara O’Neill. Despite being banned from practicing in Australia, she continues to promote her false ideas and misinformation overseas. Currently, she is exceptionally famous on social media platforms like TikTok. Even though her health ideas and practices are wrong, some people believe her and even petitioned to unban her. Additionally, she is preparing to give a speech at the Living Springs Retreat in the US.
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FAQs
What did Barbara O Neill claim?
Barbara O’Neill advised patients against chemotherapy. She also endorsed the false notion that cancer is a fungus, proposing treatment with baking soda.
What is the religion of Barbara O Neill?
Barbara O’Neill’s religion is not publicly disclosed, but she is a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
How many children does Barbara O’Neill have?
Barbara O’Neill has three children.
What are Dr. Barbara O Neill’s credentials?
Dr. Barbara O’Neill holds various credentials related to health education and naturopathy. These may include degrees, certifications, and professional affiliations. Her credentials can be found through reputable sources or her official website.
Did Barbara Windsor have any children?
Barbara Windsor, the British actress, had no children of her own.
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