Health writer denies he is a doctor

By Jane Chen | June 2, 2010, Wednesday |

Online Edition

A HEALTH writer who shot to fame by prescribing cheap food recipes to improve health – now under fire for his faked background - denied he is a doctor in his latest TV appearance.

In the latest interview with China Central Television, Zhang Wuben, 47, a Beijing native, said he just wanted to spread healthy food recopies.

Though many followers praised him as a miracle-working doctor, Zhang said he never believed in such a thing and denied being a doctor himself.

Zhang's consultation office called Wubentang boomed after he published a best-selling book "Eat out the Diseases You Have Eaten" to promote his recipes.

In his book, Zhang advised large intakes of cheap food such as green beans and eggplants to combat diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

He claimed to have studied at Beijing Medical University and said he was one of the senior nutrition experts with the Ministry of Health.

An insider said bookings for clinical consultations were full until 2012, though the booking fees of up to 2,000 yuan (US$293) is about 100 times the cost of seeing a doctor.

But Zhang was soon criticized as a fraudster as the medical university denied he had studied there and ministry officials denied he was one of its experts.

In the latest TV interview, Zhang said he is planning to take a rest. He is looking for a cheaper alternative for the green beans, which have risen price as his fame spread, to benefit his patients.

Zhang's flagship Wubentang office, in a traditional Chinese temple-style building affiliated with the Beijing Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, is being torn down, according to Sohu.com. Workers said the building is illegal.

Gym officials declined to comment on the demolition, only agreeing that it had lent the building to Zhang.

Two other Wubentang consultation offices are doing normal business in Beijing, the report said.

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Nation

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Health writer denies he is a doctor

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