ELI5: Why are shows like Dr.Oz allowed to give out health advice that isn't scientifically supported? How isn't this considered illegal?

He’s not really giving out health advice. Instead, he protects himself by merely reporting what others say. He’ll never say “Alice`s itchy feet will be cured by eating dryer lint.” Instead, he’ll quote a study like this: “According to a recent study by the Home Appliance Institute, 57% of people who eat dryer lint say their feet do not itch.” So it’s the authors of the study making the claim, except not really. The study authors are going to say something non-committal like “Although a positive correlation was found between dryer lint consumption and non-itchy feet, more study is needed and it will be several years before the production of dryer-lint based medicines.”

Dr. Oz can also shield himself by interviewing a guest about the problem instead of making any statement himself. “What options are there for people with itchy feet?” “Well, a recent study …” So, you’ll have to go through 3 or more layers of people to finally find someone who didn’t really say your itchy feet would be helped by the dryer lint anyway.

Explain Like I`m Five: good questions, best answers.