How do I weed out the “hype” on my evening news from really good nutritional information?
A. When you read or listen to health news, keep the following points in mind: 1. Don’t jump to conclusions. It is almost always never a good idea to change health habits based on a single study. 2. Try to distinguish between promising advances, reported as scientific news, and public health recommendations. 3. Keep your skepticism in working order. Science is an uncertain undertaking. Progress is measured less often by dramatic insights than by the slow accumulation of knowledge. “Astounding” medical advances are rare. No matter how enthusiastically a finding is hailed in the press, see what experts are saying next week and next month. 4. Notice where the information is coming from. Does the author of the article cite any authorities, appear to rely on scientific evidence, or simply tell a lot of anecdotes. “Thousands of people say…” “It’s well known that …” Is any source given for astounding statistics? Even carefully-sourced statistics can be wrong, of course, but if the author is wi
