5 ms·

What I hate about headlines is that people view them as a proposition to debate. When every journalist I've known or followed has linked to a published story o

What I hate about headlines is that people view them as a proposition to debate. When every journalist I've known or followed has linked to a published story of theirs, the first thing they always say is, "I didn't write the headline." Headlines are just linkbait that an editor came up with, and they are not worth consideration. The actual story isn't about "ending obesity", it's about a treatment that may replace or reduce the need for a dangerous and expensive surgery for some morbidly obese people. The people interviewed don't offer it as a solution to Americans Being Fat, just as a treatment for very severe, life-threatening cases of obesity. And that's a Hell of a thing, if it pans out! I had a friend who would have died without a gastric bypass, and he had to fight his insurance company to get it covered. The bypass wasn't the only thing he had to do to lose and keep off his weight, of course, but it was critical. If something like this implant had been available, he could have had an easier time getting it and avoided a lot of surgical risk. For him and anyone in his position, that would be a huge win.

vidarh 12y ago
The actual story also repeatedly talks about how one of the "problems" with the device is that contrary to current surgeries they expect it might be used by a lot more people. Millions is mentioned: > Baker’s concern, though, is that the Full Sense Device might work too well. If it’s effective, easy, and cheap, what’s to stop people from abusing it? >“When this hits the market, there’s not going to be just 10,000 to 15,000 people having it,” says Fred Walburn, president and sole employee of Full Sense Device’s parent company, BFKW. “There’s going to be hundreds of thousands. Millions per year.” And while a journalist has a valid reason to complain if we criticise the journalist for the title, they don't have a valid reason to complain if we criticise the headline. The headline is there. It is part of the presentation. It's not (likely) the journalists fault, but it's still an important part of the overall product.

vidarh 12y ago

The actual story also repeatedly talks about how one of the "problems" with the device is that contrary to current surgeries they expect it might be used by a lot more people. Millions is mentioned: > Baker’s concern, though, is that the Full Sense Device might work too well. If it’s effective, easy, and cheap, what’s to stop people from abusing it? >“When this hits the market, there’s not going to be just 10,000 to 15,000 people having it,” says Fred Walburn, president and sole employee of Full Sense Device’s parent company, BFKW. “There’s going to be hundreds of thousands. Millions per year.” And while a journalist has a valid reason to complain if we criticise the journalist for the title, they don't have a valid reason to complain if we criticise the headline. The headline is there. It is part of the presentation. It's not (likely) the journalists fault, but it's still an important part of the overall product.