We asked members of the Skepchick.org forum:

What scam, fraud, or pseudoscience is currently most detrimental to women?

"The idea that the instant a sperm and egg come together and form an embryo, that it is endowed with a soul."
- writerdd

"That by applying various chemicals, creams, nostrums, electrical currents or magnets to my person I can enlarge, reduce, reshape or remove any part of my physical person that does not conform to the standards set by the beauty industry. "
- boo

"Pat Robertson?"
- ed209

"Dieting books. I'm sorry but the majority of them are a scam. The whole "Do this, and you will be 100 lbs lighter in 10 days!" crap. Being a fat woman, who in my youth was forced on to every diet conceivable at that time, I can say from experience that the fad diets just don't work. One that is currently pissing me off and will get a tirade out of me every time, is the Right 4 Your Type book about a diet based on blood type!! So absurd!!"
- Chanileslie

"Without doubt, I would say that the biggest scam perpetrated on women is the weight/diet issue. I say this because of a number of reasons:

"1> Every five years or so, another diet fad will sweep through the country making the *same* promises as were made on the last fad (e.g. "no, really, we mean it this time--you can eat what you want, take the weight off effortlessly and keep it off! Yes, we *know* we said this when it was the Atkins diet and the one before that and the one before that, but honestly, this time we're *certain* this is the last diet you'll ever need!")

"2> Women are given an unhealthy and utterly unrealistic standard to which we are supposed to hold ourselves. The idea that a woman of 40 who has had three kids should have the body of a 17 year old who hasn't had any is just ludicrous.

"3> On the cover of the 'women's magazines' one will see recipes for some decadent confection along with a promise of the diet that will align the stars, bring prosperity and happiness, improve the kids grades, mow the lawn, keep the cat from clawing the furniture and keep the country from losing the war (and really, this time, it WILL do it!)."
-ladyfractal

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