Death From Egging
“Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.”
– Mark Twain
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has released a study that suggests eating seven or more eggs a week may cause a higher risk of earlier death. That is, if you are a middle-aged man with diabetes and a tendency for health problems, and you hold your mouth the wrong way. In fact, one headline read “Killer Eggs” which implies that eggs will kill you if you piss them off or eat more than seven a week.
Those of us who write blogs or news stories, know that people don’t read; they skim. What will stick in the minds of those who read “Killer Eggs?” Don’t eat eggs, of course. Eggs bad, Jane. Not eat eggs no more.
If this is such a ridicules study why bring it up? I use this story as an example of how important it is to examine a story for details before drawing conclusions. Headlines are catchy, meant to draw the reader in, and when it concerns health, what better way than fear? Fear, the great motivator, will get a reaction every time, unless you read the fine print and use critical thinking.
The bottom line of this article is, there is no bottom line. As we age we become more and more concerned with health. Our inspiration is simple - most of us don’t want to die immediately after turning 60. Neither do we want to live the life of a stoic, denying ourselves the pleasure of eating tasty food.
Dr. Robert Eckel of the University of Colorado and a former president of the American Heart Association made this comment:
“But remember, eggs are like all other foods — they are neither good nor bad, and they can be part of an overall heart-healthy diet.”
The same can be said of most studies. They are neither good nor bad. But they are funded, in many cases by a corporation with an agenda (read, $$). Think about that the next time you see a billboard with cows holding signs that admonish, “Eat more Chicken.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t think the cows are deeply committed to chicken slaughter as a means of self preservation.
