Health Articles, Which Ones Can You Trust?
It's official: health topic articles are some of the most sought-after, read and utilized tools of public communication these days. What is more important than our health? Beyond that, the health industry is not only one of the biggest in the world's economies, it's also one of the most profitable.
Why Health Information Surpasses Everything in Importance
If you get bad advice from, say, stock/bonds articles, you may lose substantial amounts of money; the same goes for articles about the real estate market, how to best negotiate when purchasing an automobile, how to make the most of your vacation dollars, or even where it's best to shop for food. Being steered wrong in these areas may have negative consequences, but, in almost all cases, being steered wrong will not mean the end of the world.
Decisions that you make about your health (for good or bad), though, have far more serious consequences. Fortunately, few people make life-changing decisions based on articles they read, but, let's face it, the totality of what each one reads in this field can affect many of the decisions we make regarding our individual health; in some cases, it can even affect public health in general.
What has happened to cigarette smoking is a perfect example. It's unlikely, for example, that there would have been enough public support 50 years ago for the many "no smoking in public places" laws that have been passed in the past few years. It took many articles by well-meaning professionals to finally convince society that maybe cigarette smoking was not the harmless pastime Hollywood worked so hard to push on the public. Of course, Hollywood was (and still is) financially dependent on tobacco dollars--thus their impetus to promote smoking.
We as a society, though, had to overcome (and are still overcoming) all the misinformation that was put out, including the blatant denials that cigarette smoking was responsible for sickness on a massive scale. Health articles can be credited with helping people at last get rational, factual information--instead of written information paid for by the same industry that still defends smoking (in spite of the scientific evidence against their products).
Health information articles are one of the few tools we have that can help us determine if a popular practice is dangerous, if we are being lied to about some controversial health issue, if something the government is doing is harmful, and if maybe we need to examine a particular issue more thoroughly before passing judgment on it. At the very least, health articles ask potentially critically important questions; at times, they may even challenge the status quo or the powers that be.
Naturally, it's not just about butting heads with the establishment. Sometimes, health articles help the establishment advance a worthy cause, i.e., finding a cure for cancer. It would be nice, in fact, if we could just all get along, since working together is bound to be more productive than pulling in separate directions. Health articles can help in this endeavor but the question that may then come up is:
How Do We Know Which Health Articles to Trust?
Unfortunately, some of the articles provided for the public contain errors, unproven theories and opinions, or otherwise useless information; the worst types of articles, though, are those that deliberately seek to misinform people, rest on lies, or merely attempt to defend a particular agenda/position for ulterior motives.
While most health articles merely attempt to entertain or provide information that people can make up their own minds about, some articles do take more serious approaches. These types of articles, in fact, compel you to take some type of action, side with one or more contending parties, or help advance/impede something that is supposedly good or bad for you.
In the best case scenarios, authors of these types of articles will merely present their case or the facts at hand--then let you make up your minds; some of these articles, however, attempt to tell you what your conclusion should be even before you read the article. This is only one of several caveats to keep in mind; other caveats include:
- Beware of articles that use patronizing admonitions or attestations. An article that says, for example, that the autism/vaccine debate is being waged by "neurotic, misinformed parents vs. scientists" is not only not accurate (since many scientists are also concerned about the safety of vaccines) but it is assuming that you, an adult, are incapable of making up your own mind about the debate. For the record, a good article should give you the facts and then let you render your own unbiased, well-researched (from both sides) judgment.
- Does the author mock or trivialize the concerns or questions of opponents of his/her thesis? This is often the case, for example, for many articles that laud conventional cancer treatments over alternative treatment options. Mocking people who have different points of view fits in well in kindergarten (or other puerile settings) but it needs to be regularly eschewed within scientific realms.
- Are there conflicts of interest that are not properly addressed in the article? To ignore or dismiss, for example, the CDC's many conflicts of interest (because of its "too cozy" relationship with the pharmaceutical industries) is simply not good science. Authors need to reveal, furthermore, whether they have obtained compensation from or have vested interest in any aspect of the issue(s) discussed in their articles.
- How well do you trust or agree with the references provided for the article? If, for example, an author provides only government agency sources in an article defending a certain government policy, then this provides reason for skepticism on the part of the reader.
- Does the content of the article make sense and how compelling are the arguments for and against the article? Health articles at the very least elicit and encourage debate. This is a good thing. Truth, as a I often said, is usually found somewhere in the middle of opposing arguments. As a matter of fact, be especially wary of authors who appear to have all the answers and compel you to take one particular side because the other side couldn't possibly be right! It's one thing to be passionate or confident about what you're preaching--it's something else, though, to be presumptuously arrogant.
What Then Is a Trustworthy Health Article?
A trustworthy health article is one that provides information:
- that encourages you to read more (on both sides of the issue),
- that "talks" to you (rather than at you),
- that asks questions which the other side avoids or can't respond to cogently,
- that helps you to learn things you didn't know (including new vocabulary),
- that makes sense or uses good logic,
- that makes you think (rather than letting you think that the topic is best left to "experts"),
- that opens doors (rather than closing them or making you think that the issue has already been resolved by a trustworthy government or big corporations),
- that cites multiple verifiable, reliable sources that defend the thesis of the article,
- that readily addresses any conflicts of interest (if any),
- that provides alternate avenues of thought or unique perspectives,
- that is written by people with education, training and developed expertise in health,
- and that promotes healthy, productive and beneficial research and discussion.
Conclusion
There is no question that you should be very choosy as to what you read these days. For one thing, you need to stay informed about new developments, trends and practices. While other areas of thought may also be important, health information articles are especially important for your welfare. To that end, make sure that you read your fair share of these types of written communication.
Because not all articles are worth your while or offer the same value, it behooves you to establish a system for deciding which articles to read and which to pass on. Such a system should begin with topics you find most relevant to you and your family, examples of which may include cancer, nutrition, vaccines, the flu, hepatitis, meningitis, cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis, fluoridation of water, safety of medical radiation sources, etc.
Next, steer away from articles that suppress debate and personal introspection (rather than promoting them); by all means, enjoy health articles that invite you to think, to make up your own mind (for, contrary to what the government and big corporations think, you actually have one), and to become much better informed that you are right now.
References & Resources
1. http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/everything-you-know-about-fitness-is-a-lie-20120504
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