Cult News

Is Kirstie Alley (photo left) attempting to somehow promote the “cult” Scientology through her new diet plan?

Roger Friedman raised this question and now comes the push back from the former sitcom star.

She says his insinuations are “bullshit.”

But it looks like Alley isn’t exactly being completely honest herself.

If you take a peek at her Web site “Organic Liaison,” the diet program in part appears to be predicated upon the theories of L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology.

In his book “Clear Body, Clear Mind” Hubbard posits the theory that toxins can stay “in the tissues and mainly the fatty tissues of the body.” He further explains that “chemical poisons and toxins, preservatives, pesticides etc, as well as medical drugs and the long list of heavy street drugs…can lodge in the tissues and remain in the body for years” potentially causing “unpredictable trips.”

This very same theory seems to be promoted within Alley’s weight loss program.

The “Organic Liaison” Web site states, “toxic substances get in the way between your body and the natural digestive process that breaks down fat. Preservatives additives, hydrogenated oils, nitrates and other toxic substances put stress on your organs…Your body cannot process those substances and thus stores them as FAT.”

Apparently reiterating Hubbard’s mantra Alley summarizes, “toxins end up stored in the fat area of your body.”

Of course her diet program can supposedly purge a participant’s toxins through “Rescue Me,” which is “a special formula that helps…gently cleanse the body, taking the ‘toxic’ out and putting the healthy in.” The diet supplement contains “organic ingredients, including nutrients, essential vitamins and minerals, natural herbs, fiber and antioxidants.”

But as the “Organic Liaison” Web site admits, “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration” (FDA).

Hubbard’s theories have historically been packaged and repackaged within a myriad of programs pitched by Scientologists. This has included everything from “Detox” clinics touted by Tom Cruise to the Narconon drug rehab program, which Kirstie Alley says saved her life.

Hubbard’s toxin talk boils down to what Scientology calls the “Purification Rundown,” which allegedly is the cure for whatever toxins trouble you.  The rundown is a regimen that reportedly includes a “vitamin cocktail.”

However, Hubbard’s pseudo-scientific theories have been widely disputed and described as “false.”

Stephen M. Pittel, Ph.D., a forensic psychologist and a toxicology expert based in California with more than 30 years of experience, dismissed Hubbard’s teachings as “a total myth.”

And Narconon specifically has been criticized and scrutinized concerning its programs within California’s public schools.

Steven Heilig, director of health and education for the San Francisco Medical Society wrote in his report that Narconon “often exemplifies the outdated, non-evidence based and sometimes factually inaccurate approach.”

Kirstie Alley has acted as an official spokesperson for Narconon.

Alley claims that she has assembled a world class team of experts to help her with Organic Liaison, including Dr. Soram Khalsa (photo right), the Medical Director for the “East-West Medical Research Institute.” Soram is a vitamin D enthusiast and coincidentally has his own purported “cult” connection. The M.D. was a student of Yogi Bhajan, the controversial guru of a group called 3HO.

Kirstie Alley may have faith that Scientology is her savior, capable of clearing and/or cleansing the planet, but peddling Hubbard’s quaint and questionable theories to those struggling with weight problems doesn’t seem that helpful.