If the news reports it, it must be true.
One great challenge, working in the field of health and fitness, is trying to dispel myths perpetuated by reporting in popular media.
Just this morning I heard a news report on a local radio station, that I have to say; put me off so much that it's the subject of this post.
The report stated that if you're thinking of giving up chocolate, you may want to think again. A woman in England is celebrating her one hundredth birthday and credits it to her consumption of thirty chocolate bars per day! We're not talking about the 100% cacao stuff that's actually good for you, she eats the sugar laden Cadbury. If you would like to read the source of the news segment, click here.
One great challenge, working in the field of health and fitness, is trying to dispel myths perpetuated by reporting in popular media.
Just this morning I heard a news report on a local radio station, that I have to say; put me off so much that it's the subject of this post.
The report stated that if you're thinking of giving up chocolate, you may want to think again. A woman in England is celebrating her one hundredth birthday and credits it to her consumption of thirty chocolate bars per day! We're not talking about the 100% cacao stuff that's actually good for you, she eats the sugar laden Cadbury. If you would like to read the source of the news segment, click here.
I know it's not the intention of a reporter to mislead the public, but what they're not thinking about is the repercussions this method of reporting has on people. Especially people that take their information at face value.
"I heard it on the news, it must be true."
Forget for a moment that the seriousness of diabetes caused from poor nutrition and sugar consumption is under reported, but think for a moment of all the overweight people who may have heard that report this morning. Their immediate thought will be that chocolate is good for me. That's precisely what people do, you can see for yourself in the comments portion of the article that I linked you too above. They seek information to support their beliefs, not refute them, and draw conclusion on hearsay.
If in a news report, they hear about chocolate and a very old woman that ate it, they're going to see the correlation in favour of their habit, and the story will reinforce the belief that it's ok, and how can something that makes someone live longer, be bad in any way.
If you think about it, a news report that tells us a woman is living beyond one hundred "because" she eats chocolate is very different than a report on a woman who is over one hundred that "likes" to eat chocolate. When you leave people to interpret the information, they will almost always extract that which they want to hear, especially when there's room for interpretation.
What many don't understand is that genetics can be a sole contributor to someone living that old, among many other contributors. This report tells us nothing about chocolate consumption and its health benefits. It just tells us that one old lady in England is fortunate enough to live to such a ripe old age; while millions of people will meet a premature death caused by obesity.
Should you have heard this report this morning; if you're overweight and you eat chocolate, you may want to think again.
Related post on chocolate
"I heard it on the news, it must be true."
Forget for a moment that the seriousness of diabetes caused from poor nutrition and sugar consumption is under reported, but think for a moment of all the overweight people who may have heard that report this morning. Their immediate thought will be that chocolate is good for me. That's precisely what people do, you can see for yourself in the comments portion of the article that I linked you too above. They seek information to support their beliefs, not refute them, and draw conclusion on hearsay.
If in a news report, they hear about chocolate and a very old woman that ate it, they're going to see the correlation in favour of their habit, and the story will reinforce the belief that it's ok, and how can something that makes someone live longer, be bad in any way.
If you think about it, a news report that tells us a woman is living beyond one hundred "because" she eats chocolate is very different than a report on a woman who is over one hundred that "likes" to eat chocolate. When you leave people to interpret the information, they will almost always extract that which they want to hear, especially when there's room for interpretation.
What many don't understand is that genetics can be a sole contributor to someone living that old, among many other contributors. This report tells us nothing about chocolate consumption and its health benefits. It just tells us that one old lady in England is fortunate enough to live to such a ripe old age; while millions of people will meet a premature death caused by obesity.
Should you have heard this report this morning; if you're overweight and you eat chocolate, you may want to think again.
Related post on chocolate
