4 ms·
I've decided that any study presented by the media is the result of hype/marketing by a company with a bias. Year after year I've seen a constant flow of "healt
by WheelsAtLarge 9y ago
I've decided that any study presented by the media is the result of hype/marketing by a company with a bias. Year after year I've seen a constant flow of "health news" that eventually turns out to be marginally true or outright false. Here's another one. No, chocolate is not health food. I suspect coffee is the next one to fall.
Most reporters aren't knowledgeable enough to distinguish between hype and true breakthroughs. Because of this, they have to go to experts to determine whether the news is valid or not- if they do it at all. Unfortunately, they then get pointed to experts by the same companies that have a vested interest. Additionally, given the news cycle deadlines, its impossible to do the story justice.
On a related idea, 10-15 years ago, the news media was full of stories reporting on how doctors were underprescribing pain medicines. The big point was that when people needed them narcotics were safe and not addictive. Now, 15 years later see the results. We now have thousands of people addicted and many of the dying. The tragedy is that the narcotic manufacturers were behind those stories. They did it to sell more pills.
The reality is that we need to understand that we can't take these stories as advice but as, what they are, entertainment and as something to research if we have a real interest.
- joering2 9y ago> We now have thousands of people addicted and many of the dying. But isn't it also why Reagan announced war on drugs? So the government does answer when needed (eventually?)
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- smallworld99 9y agoIs this sarcasm? The war on drugs is the exact opposite of how you should handle public health crises, like how he handled mental health issues by closing numerous mental hospitals, whose occupants are now homeless and wandering the streets.
- ggg9990 9y agoSolid cacao and black coffee both have some good and reasonably well-established therapeutic properties in small amounts. But "American-style" (huge servings with tons of sugar and fats added) they are just junk food.
- dovdovdov 9y agookay, what if I have them with diet coke?
- cellularmitosis 9y agoArtificial sweeteners are no solution. https://youtu.be/F7x_2f7uQyc https://youtu.be/F7x_2f7uQyc
- nostromo 9y ago> No, chocolate is not health food. It actually may be. The large about of sugar that usually accompanies it certainly is not.
- squarefoot 9y agoThe same principle can be applied with just about anything: water is not just healthy but essential for life, but if you drink 10 liters in a shot you either get hospitalized or dead. Most advertising is more subtle than the traditional snake oil bullshit which can be easily detected and sanctioned; it usually is based on a true principle which is then stretched so it can be used to sell something that doesn't work.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- dforrestwilson 9y agoIf anyone doubts that massive amounts of money have gone to a few (now extremely wealthy) legal drug dealers. http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a12775932/sackler-family-oxycontin/ http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a12775932/sackler-famil...
- Nursie 9y agoUnfortunately, as always, the pain med thing was mis_targetted. There are a lot of people who die in needless pain all around the world. They're just not the same folks who are being over-prescribed oxy.
- warent 9y agoObligatory: https://xkcd.com/1853/ https://xkcd.com/1853/
- jmcgough 9y agoalso obligatory :) http://phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1174 http://phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1174
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- jmcgough 9y ago> On a related idea, 10-15 years ago, the news media was full of stories reporting on how doctors were underprescribing pain medicines. I remember around the same time, there were tons of stories about how malpractice lawsuits were out of control and Americans were all suing anything that moved, which lead to a lot of states passing bills to cap malpractice awards. When I got older I read Noam Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent". Powerful people are working hard to push narratives that benefit them, and it's important that we be skeptical whenever we don't know where the narrative is coming from.
- jayess 9y ago> Most reporters aren't knowledgeable enough to distinguish between hype and true breakthroughs. From personal experience I've learned that few reporters are knowledgeable about anything outside how to be a reporter.
- frik 9y agoThe same is true for agricultural. Company lobbyists try to sneak in laws and publish studies and reports. Then we wonder why bees die left and right, and humans get sick. "EU report on weedkiller safety copied text from Monsanto study" https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/15/eu-report-on-weedkiller-safety-copied-text-from-monsanto-study https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/15/eu-repor...