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Letter to the editor: In defense of WHO, preventative medicine
By Optimist Reader
Posted on November 6, 2015 | Letters to the Editor,Opinion | 1 comment
Last week, the Optimist Editorial Board published a response to the World Health Organization's (WHO) press release concerning the carcinogenic effects of red meat. I was greatly disappointed with this response–not so much for the difference in opinion but more so for the content of this response.
First, I would like to clarify the WHO's position, as I feel it was misrepresented by the Editorial Board. To start, the WHO reviewed over 800 peer-reviewed studies concerning red meat, which is a world of a difference from "800 cases of cancer" (which could likely come from one epidemiological study alone). Second, the WHO does not intend to "scare people into…becoming vegetarians"–this is simply a straw man fallacy. On the contrary, the WHO actually acknowledges on its website that both vegetarian and omnivorous diets have health benefits and risks. Rather, the WHO advises consumers to limit–not eliminate–red meats from their diets, particularly processed red meats. Third, the risks associated with eating red meat are not "insignificant," as the Editorial Board suggests. After reviewing hundreds of epidemiological studies, WHO health experts determined a significant relationship between colorectal cancer and processed meats. This is quite an important claim in the health community and required a tremendous amount research to make. Added, this press release does not focus on the other health risks associated with processed meats, such as diabetes and heart disease.
In addition to the above, I was also extremely disappointed with the Editorial Board's blatant disregard for preventive medicine throughout their response. According to the Editorial Board, the 34,000 cancers caused by processed meats are not worth preventing. Instead we should all remain blissfully ignorant of the known health risks and live life to the fullest. Why bother brushing and flossing our teeth, getting vaccines, or even wearing seat belts? At what point would these 34,000 cases become significant to the Editorial Board–100,000, 500,000? Perhaps, they should also factor in the deaths due to diabetes and heart disease (also associated with processed red meat), whose combined yearly deaths total nearly 20 million. At what point are we going to start taking preventative medicine seriously? In our age demographic and our nation, we repeatedly dismiss these preventive measures and live life only thinking about the present. But there are serious diseases associated with certain choices we make, and there are people going through unnecessary suffering. Just because the Editorial Board does not consider this "a prominent issue" does not make this issue any less real or important. The WHO is fulfilling its duty as an organization: educating us about health risks and diseases. And I for one stand behind them for doing so.
Tina Johnson is a senior biology major from ??.
Posted by Optimist Reader on Nov 6th, 2015 and filed under Letters to the Editor, Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.	- This post has been viewed 4972 times.
1 Response for "Letter to the editor: In defense of WHO, preventative medicine"
bcolebennett says:
From the Wall Street Journal, 11/10/15:
"The authors [of the WHO document] write that "positive associations were seen with high versus low consumption of red meat in half of those studies"—hardly enough conclusive evidence to justify a stern cancer warning.
The working group even admits in the same paper that "there is limited evidence for the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat" and "no clear association was seen in several of the high quality studies."
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The Optimist is a publication of the JMC Network, the student news operation of Abilene Christian University. The JMC Network is advised by members of the faculty and staff of ACU's Department of Journalism and Mass Communication. Opinions expressed by sources in news stories are those of the sources and do not necessarily reflect those of the JMC Network staff, the department, the university or its administration.	Read More »
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