Friday, February 18, 2011

Pseudoscience

When I think of pseudoscience I automatically picture all of the weight loss drug adds on TV. I have been told by people that I actually know that some of these drugs have worked for them. I still believe that they fall in the pseudoscience category because, even if a person looses weight while taking them, I do not believe that they are working the way that they say that they are working. They just don't seem realistic. Plus, the fact that I have never heard of someones doctor prescribing or recommending any of these to any overweight person that I know, leads me to believe that they are not what they say they are. I've heard that plenty of doctors recommend diet and exercise, but I have never heard of a doctor telling an overweight patient to 'go buy some of those weight loss drugs you see on TV'.

I can't think of an example of something that I am not sure is pseudoscience or not. There are a lot of interesting scientific 'facts' that I've heard (and probably passed a long) and later wondered if they were true or not. Of course, I can't think of any at this time :) But, if they were said to me, then I pass them along in conversation, then that person says it to another and so on, I can see how little science 'rumors' or pseudoscience could lead people astray. It seems like this happens often with nutrition. Fad diets are a good example. One week doing diet 'A' is the best thing and next week it's diet 'B' that is actually the right one for you. I can see how it would be hard for a person to determine what is actually right when the media is bombarding them with so much information.



**EDIT**

I thought of something that I am not sure is real or not. Wrinkle cream. Though, I cannot decide if I really am not sure, or if deep inside I don't believe the commercials I see but am just holding out hope that something like wrinkle cream could really work. I think it is probably the latter of the two......

3 comments:

  1. I definitely picture weight loss pills as well. I always think it is funny when you hear the announcer say "with diet and exercise" really quickly, hoping no one will notice. My aunt took diet pills when she was younger and now she has a lot of health problems. Good blog :)

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  2. I like that you mention doctors not prescribing pills for overweight people. i have a friend who has health problems because of his weight and the doctors don't prescribe him anything and he was told that the surgery to reduction his weight that is popular was also very unhealthy despite what everyone hears

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