Wednesday, August 18, 2010

can 2 wrongs make a right??

this piece of research just came off the press...

doctors at imperial college london have discovered that if you live with an unhealthy diet, in this case a QuarterPounder with milkshake, you can actually reduce the cardiovascular risks by taking a statin tablet (which reduces cholesterol), even to the extent of providing these tablets to go with the meals, & further justifying this by stating that it doesn't costs much more to supply these tablets!! read here.

they even defended this proposal by quoting other examples of dangerous lifestyles, like wearing seatbelts while driving & using filters in cigarettes, to minimise the associated risks.

this is like saying, drinks manufacturers should include diabetic tablets with their 6-pack sodas, or cigarette firms include chemotherapy pills in their packs.

does this sound like logical reasoning?

what this study doesn't highlight is that statins have their own side effects on the liver, muscles & kidneys. so now, instead of just destroying your heart by wolfing down fast food, you're also threatening your liver and kidneys with a chemical drug.

i think the simple (??) solution is just to abstain from fast-food/sodas/cigarettes, etc etc., or more conventionally to take in moderation & eventually to stop altogether.

because, in this scenario, 2 wrongs certainly don't make a right!!

16 comments:

wenn said...

of course, wrongs won't be right :)

doc said...

Wenn,

but that won't stop some people from trying.

Hello Kitty said...

People will try to find all ways and means to make it right! I have a friend who could not stop smoking, so resorted to drinking green tea everyday hoping it will neutralise the bad effect of smoking!

Anonymous said...

Why don't people just to the right thing instead of looking for ways to plug the hole? Like are there any real benefits from smoking at all? Just quit doing what is harmless to one's own body is the one right decision.

doc said...

Kitty,

Please let me know if that works for your friend. he could be the discoverer of a great cure!!

doc said...

Mei Teng,

unfortunately, it's often easier NOT to do the right thing than to do it.

what about you - are you able to abstain from a juicy burger?

missyc said...

Waste time trying to change people habits :( Some ppl only start to right a wrong when faced with illness or see others suffer. Some will say "Why worry, you only live once so eat,drink,smoke like there is no tomorrow"

Doctors will be out of jobs if everybody listens :D

iml said...

And they are Doctors??

doc said...

MissyC,

we reap what we sow, so if we choose to live irresponsibly, we should be prepared to suffer the consequences. still, it remains my sworn duty to provide proper medical advice to the vaious respective conditions.

doc said...

Iml,

they are but perhaps they have vested interest in the study.

Jo said...

agreed wholeheartedly!

These pharmaceutical companies can be as unscrupulous as they can get, in order to make money!

Unicorn Girl said...

I think it's best we stick on to traditional ways by using our common sense . What do you think Doc ?

doc said...

Jo,

sometimes the pharmaceutical companies don't reveal info that will affect the sales adversely, eg. glaxo has been accused of witholding info that their diabetic drug avandia actually increases the risk of heart failure. now there's a possibility the drug may be recalled.

doc said...

UG,

unfortunately, common sense is rather uncommon these days. indeed, we should consider going back to the good old days (in Eden??) when people consumed natural foods & not processed ones.

Adino said...

Agree. Why not just make healthier food choices instead of relying on drugs? As if there weren't enough chemicals in our food already, now suggesting to add another one!

doc said...

Adino,

it's a win-win situation for food manufacturers & pharmaceuticals, & the consumers are the losers.