It’s been a long time since writing, but I just wanted to find out if any one else has noticed all of the medical or survey reports that have inundated the Internet recently.

It seems that nearly every week a new study by a medical team, university or research facility comes out with some revelation about what is good for you or not.

Then a few weeks, months or years later, another group will come out with a contradiction of the previous study.

“Wine is good for you — wine is bad for you.”

“Red meat is good for you — red meat is bad for you.”

“Jogging is good for you — jogging is bad for you.”

“Vitamin pills are good for you — vitamin pills are bad for you,” and on and on.

I remember Paul Harvey saying one time that most researchers will continually reverse themselves with further studies so that they can publish their findings — “publish or perish.”

Knowing this, I have become very cynical about any study because in the very near future, that study will be discounted by another study.

I don’t believe any study can be accurate if it involves humans because of the many variables associated with different people.

Even if all of the subjects are the same age, gender, height and weight, they are very different, and any data collected from a study would be suspect.

I think that if a study was conducted on identical twins of the same gender and they were secluded in a controlled environment and there were many sets of twins and the study was over an extended period of time the data may have some credibility, but who would do that?

I guess what I’m saying is don’t put too much stock in studies you read about because they will change very shortly then change again.

 

Forest Persons

Natchez resident