Dec. 18, 2008
Study Debunks Conventional Wisdom
CBS Evening News: New Evidence Suggests Age-Old Truisms Not Necessarily So True
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Play CBS Video Video Busting Medical Myths For generations, mothers have doled out medical advice like "bundle up" and "sugar makes kids go wild." But a new study shows that many medical "truths" are false. Richard Schlesinger reports.
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(CBS)
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Quiz Health Myths Quiz What do you REALLY know about about flu shots, arthritic pain, nightcaps, antiperspirants, and healing cuts?
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Quiz Fever Myths Quiz Do you really know what to do when you or a child has a fever?
But a new study proves that many of those long-held medical truths aren't true at all, CBS News correspondent Richard Schlesinger reports.
"Sometimes they just get perpetuated, I think, because they come from people we respect -- from our parents, from teachers, and from doctors, and that causes us to believe they're true," says Indiana University medical professor Dr. Aaron Carroll.
Carroll and his colleague Dr. Rachel Vreeman took a scientific look at those popular beliefs for a report published today in the British Medical Journal.
Take the conventional wisdom about kids and sugar-that it makes them go wild for a couple hours.
The report found no connection between sugar and hyperactivity, and 12 highly scientific studies back that up. One of those studies concluded that "the differences in the children's behavior were all in the parents' minds."
Then there's the notion that eating at night is an invitation to packing on the pounds.
In reality, several studies have found "no link at all between eating at night and weight gain." Researchers have repeatedly found eating too much makes you fat, regardless of what time you have a meal.
And what about wearing a hat in cold weather?
Here's what the report found: "There is nothing special about the head and heat loss. Any uncovered part of the body loses heat and will reduce core body temperature proportionally."
"We look into this to try to, in a fun way, remind people that we should look at the science," Vreeman said.
There is some good news in the report for this time of year. Despite the conventional wisdom suicides do not appear to increase around the holidays.
One other thing: Despite what you've been told, poinsettias are not poisonous. In almost 23,000 cases where people ate poinsettia leaves, only 4 percent needed some kind of medical attention.
Another piece of conventional wisdom shattered.
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See all 72 CommentsI find no connection between professors who do worthless studies, and monkees who fling poo.
Posted by memerider at 05:19 PM : Dec 19, 2008
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News flash -- everyone suffers from "traumatic incidents". CBT is good for anyone.
"We look into this to try to, in a fun way, remind people that we should look at the science," Vreeman said.
Well it is science, (pharmaceutical compaines and Drs who are the fourth cause of death in America).. yep we sure can trust them eh..
12 highly scientific studies back up that sugar makes no difference.... where and who did the studies, anyone can say that studies have been done, I can make us a few myself... I once believed that sugar didnt make a difference also but after seeing my well behaved, gentle son become depressed after a binge on sugar I sure dont believe it now.. for years my teacher husband said that most hyperactive children just needed a jolly hard smack and he still believes that but we now believe that there are some hyperactive children who are really effected by sugar and other things.
It has however become an excuse in many cases for parents to blame sugar on their rotten undisciplined children as the parents find it hard to face up to the fact that they are to blame for their rotten kids so it is easier to blame food or what ever..
Do a similar study on classical psychoanalysis.
CBT -- the only modality supported by good science.
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Posted by forever1973 at 10:45 AM : Dec 19, 2008"
YES! Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, including the subset Rational-Emotive Behavioral Therapy, can have a profound and lasting positive effect in a very short time for many suffering from traumatic incidents.
Posted by kurlikew at 09:13 PM : Dec 18, 2008
Holistic health counselor? Isn''t that kinda like calling a trash collector a sanitation engineer?
You have a Phd in....? an MD? a PharmD?
How bout a DDS for Ding-Dong School with Miss Anne?
Admittedly it is an impressive title-correspondence school?
Posted by forever1973 at 10:52 AM : Dec 19, 2008
p-envy?
Is that pianist envy? So I guess your were a big fan of Liberace?
Posted by redstripe11
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Green M&Ms sure make me *****.
For more pertinent information, go to: http://www.HealingNews.com
Annie Hall is funny.
"I''m one of the few men with p- envy." --WA
Do a similar study on classical psychoanalysis.
CBT -- the only modality supported by good science.
I suspect that it makes a noticeable difference on average snip
Perhaps, but here''s where you can get the bias of the scientists in to make sure the study comes out the way their sponsors want it to. If the sample size is just right, the overall result ("no difference") can be shown to be a statistically sound conclusion while your conclusion ("a small change from the average") can be shown to be not supported by the statistics even if true. And that all is just the mathematics. Behavioral tests -- how active is the child -- are bound to be subjective with even slight amounts of opinion ("Is she a 3 or a 3.5?") having dramatic effects on the numbers. The conclusion on average is therefore all BS and, like I said, the only interesting thing is studying outlier cases.
and that there is money involved which came from a company that sells sugar-filled treats snip
Yep.
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See all 72 Comments