Who would have thought that a "miracle doctor" who relied on mung beans to cure all diseases could skyrocket in value and collapse in just a few years?
Zhang Wuben, who was once the "first person in China's dietary therapy", was born with a book "Eat the Disease Back", and the sky-high registration fee of 2,000 yuan could not stop the patients from flocking to him.
However, is it the real skill or the trick hidden behind the scenery?
The core concept of "miracle doctor" Zhang Wuben
If you want to say that Zhang Wuben's most admired ability is probably "mung bean soup to cure all diseases".
He claims that mung bean soup has miraculous healing properties and can solve everything from vision problems to chronic diseases and even cancer.
He recommended patients to drink a large amount of mung bean water every day, and this suggestion caused a huge response in the community. In addition to mung beans, Zhang Wuben is also keen to promote the so-called special effects of other ingredients.
For example, he claims that eating uncooked eggplant directly can improve blood circulation and lower blood lipids; He also particularly admired the health benefits of turnips; What's even more surprising is that he even encouraged people to consume raw potatoes to improve their physical condition.
Although these ideas lacked scientific support, they soon became widespread among the general public due to their novelty and simplicity. People are attracted to these seemingly simple yet effective methods and try these non-traditional regimens.
More controversially, Zhang Wuben openly questioned modern medicine. He claimed that 80% of high blood pressure was misdiagnosed, and that antihypertensive drugs could cause cerebral infarction and kidney failure.
He also believes that diabetes complications are caused by hypoglycemic drugs. These remarks have seriously misled the public and even led some patients to stop taking the drug without authorization, resulting in adverse consequences.
Zhang Wuben's remarks triggered a series of social phenomena. The first is the skyrocketing price of mung beans. Because he vigorously promoted the efficacy of mung beans, the price of mung beans rose from 4.8 yuan per catty to 12.8 yuan per catty, nearly tripling.
In some areas, there was even a rush to buy, and supermarkets had to limit the purchase of mung beans. A case in point is Ma Li, a resident of Xidan, Beijing, who buys large quantities of mung beans for her mother every day.
And the "Wubentang" clinic opened by Zhang Wuben is hard to find. The ordinary consultation number costs 300 yuan, and the urgent number is even as high as 1800-2000 yuan.
Even so, the regular number was scheduled for 2012, and the urgent number was scheduled for the following year. For a time, it is not uncommon for scalpers to resell registered places at high prices.
In addition to diagnosis and treatment services, Zhang Wuben has also launched high-priced health training programs. The cost of his short-term rehabilitation course is as high as 9,800 yuan.
The cost of long-term courses is even more amazing, with a monthly study fee of more than 30,000 yuan. If you need to be accompanied by someone to take care of you, you have to pay an additional fee of 10,000 yuan.
Despite the high prices, the demand for places in these camps is still in short supply, and some people even borrow money to participate.
The blind pursuit of Zhang Wuben by a large number of fans is also a phenomenon worth paying attention to. The middle-aged and elderly group became his main followers. Many patients seek medical care at great expense, and some even forgo formal treatment.
For example, 75-year-old Mrs. Wang spent 1,200 yuan on registration and bought expensive calcium powder, hoping to cure her illness.
So, why do these people believe in Zhang Wuben so much? What kind of skills does he have?
The rise of Zhang Wuben
In 2009, China was in a period of rapid economic development, but with it increased stress and increased concern about health issues.
At the same time, the problem of difficult and expensive medical treatment is becoming increasingly prominent. In this context, in the wave of revival of traditional culture, the concept of traditional Chinese medicine health preservation has been sought after like never before.
It was in such a social environment that Zhang Wuben began his road to "miracle doctor". He carefully packaged his background, claiming to have come from a "four-generation family of Chinese medicine" and had studied medicine with his father at the age of six.
He also claimed to be a graduate of the Department of Clinical Medicine at Beijing Medical University and Beijing Normal University with a degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and claimed to be "one of the first batch of senior dietitians from the Ministry of Health." These titles earned him initial trust and attention.
At the end of 2009, Zhang Wuben released a book called "Eat Back the Disease You Eat". In the book, there are the miraculous effects of mung beans and eggplant.
The book quickly won the hearts of a wide range of readers with its easy-to-understand language and unique ideas. It sold more than one million in a short period of time, becoming one of the best-selling books of the year.
Zhang Wuben reached the top in early 2010. In February of that year, he was invited to participate in a program called "Encyclopedia" on Hunan Satellite TV.
This show blends elements of knowledge dissemination and entertainment to attract a large audience in a light-hearted and fun way. Zhang Wuben's performance in the show made him quickly become the focus of public attention.
Zhang Wuben performed well in the show, with outstanding eloquence, sharp rhetoric, and novel views. He recorded 13 episodes of the program in a row, and his popularity quickly climbed and he became a well-known "health expert". Doubts and revelations
With the expansion of Zhang Wuben's influence, there are more and more voices of doubt. First, his academic qualifications and identity fraud were exposed.
Peking University Health Science Center confirmed that Zhang Wuben never studied at the school, and the Ministry of Health also denied his status as a "senior dietitian". Eventually, his true identity was revealed as a retired worker at Beijing's No. 3 Knitting Factory.
Medical experts have also come forward to refute Zhang's theory for lacking scientific basis. The China Health Education Center convened six top experts to systematically refute his remarks.
Experts point out that although mung beans have certain nutritional value, they cannot cure diseases, and excessive consumption may be harmful. They also refuted Zhang's erroneous views on blood pressure medication and diabetes treatment.
The media investigation revealed the business operations behind Zhang Wuben. There is a cultural company that specializes in packaging and operating Zhang Wuben, and he needs to pay for TV shows, ranging from 100,000 to 200,000 yuan.
Publishing books, opening clinics, and selling health care products have formed a complete industrial chain.
Eventually, the health department stepped in to investigate. In May 2010, the Beijing Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce and the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau launched an investigation into Wubentang and found that Wubentang did not have a business license and its medical staff were not qualified. The results of the investigation showed that Zhang Wuben was suspected of false propaganda and illegal medical practice.
With the revelation of the truth, Zhang Wuben quickly fell. In June 2010, the temple was closed. On May 28, the church was temporarily closed; On June 2, the signboard of Gohondo was removed; On June 3, the façade of the temple was demolished.
Immediately afterwards, Zhang Wuben's health books were completely removed from the shelves of bookstores across the country. On June 5, a number of bookstores accepted returns for refunds. Zhang Wuben was also forced to refund part of the patient's fees.
On June 7, Gohondo announced the refund procedure and agreed to refund the advance payment and consultation fee. But some patients who have suffered losses due to delayed treatment are asking for more compensation.
Since then, Zhang Wuben has disappeared from public view. He stopped all public appearances, canceled all appointments and training events, and his social influence dropped dramatically.
The Zhang Wuben incident revealed a number of problems in society at that time. The lack of a strict moderation system for wellness programs is a major problem.
In order to attract viewers, the TV station does not carefully check the content of the program and does not seriously verify the qualifications of the guests. These programs have become too entertaining and have lost the seriousness of popular science programs.
Another problem is that ordinary people do not know enough about health knowledge and are easily deceived. Older people are especially susceptible to believing so-called "expert" claims.
Many people don't know how to judge the authenticity of health knowledge, coupled with the rush to find a cure when they are sick, these factors give some scammers an opportunity.
In order to make money, some businesses unscrupulously carry out false propaganda, which is also a serious problem. Exaggerating the effect of products, creating a false image of authority, and completely ignoring public health and social responsibility.
Zhang Wuben's current situation
Time flies, and more than ten years have passed since Zhang Wuben's incident in a blink of an eye. So, what kind of life does the former "first person of Chinese dietary therapy" live now?
In 2014, Zhang Wuben was hospitalized due to cerebral infarction, which aroused public attention. On February 20, he was admitted to the Department of Neurology of the Third Hospital of Beijing Medical University, saying that the cerebral infarction was "angry" by the media. This news sparked ridicule from netizens, and some people asked "why don't you drink mung bean soup to save yourself".
Despite the setbacks, Zhang Wuben seems to stick to his philosophy of dietary therapy. He said that he still believes that diet therapy can cure diseases, saying that he has recovered his health through dietary conditioning. He still insists on promoting the concept of health to the people around him, but his influence is not as good as before.
Today, Zhang Wuben no longer practices medicine or engages in commercial activities in public. He stopped going out to earn money and lived a relatively peaceful life. He stopped giving media interviews and public appearances, stayed away from business activities, and his life became low-key.
It is rumored that Zhang Wuben currently lives in Beijing and lives a simple life. He occasionally imparts health knowledge on a small scale, but public attention to him has dropped dramatically. The former "miracle doctor" has now faded out of the public's sight.
epilogue
The Zhang Wuben incident taught us an important lesson. This incident tells us that it is important to improve everyone's scientific knowledge and discernment.
Each of us should also believe in science and not believe in "miracle doctors". It is necessary to establish a correct concept of health, go to a regular hospital to see a doctor when you are sick, take regular medicines, and do not believe those "miracle doctors" who claim to cure all diseases.
Health is important, and you can't just leave it to scammers.
Overall, the Zhang Wuben incident reflects people's health concerns at the time, as well as the problem of blind trust in authority. Although this incident has long passed, the lesson must not be forgotten. The pursuit of health depends on science, not opportunism.
Sources of information:
Beijing Youth Daily: Beijing Youth Daily: Zhang Wuben is sick, and pseudo-health science is still "alive"
Qianjiang Evening News: Zhang Wuben's surplus value
Red Net: Zhang Wuben, a miracle doctor of dietary therapy, can't cure his own disease
Chutian Metropolis Daily: "Miracle Doctor" Zhang Wuben was admitted to the hospital with cerebral infarction Netizen: Why don't you drink mung bean soup?
Xinmin Evening News: Zhang Wuben's health book series can be refunded from now on, and a purchase receipt is required