Health Websites – Should You Trust Them?
Health websites have proliferated over the years so that, today, there are millions of them. This seems like a great situation in terms of the variety of topics covered. Closer examination however reveals a disturbing number of pseudo-scientific “quack” sites promoting all sorts of nonsense.
A number of websites debunking pseudo-scientific health websites have also been spawned, but they in turn, have, on occasion, thrown the baby out with the bathwater. For example one well regarded site has lost some credibility by rubbishing the Atkins diet. By doing so, some doubt is cast upon their knowledge and motives. Mainstream medical opinion is very slowly beginning to accept the benefits of a low carb/high fat diet and many diabetics are symptom free as a result of Dr Atkins et al.
Another problem is best summed up as “guilt by association”. If someone is extolling the virtues of some esoteric detoxing product which is generally known to be junk,, readers are likely to doubt the veracity of their other recommendations.
Health Websites can be Dangerous.
The greatest problem with health websites is simply their ability to confuse and mislead. All too often a quirky treatment for a common problem is lauded as a wonder cure. This is usually founded on some half baked notion of the human body’s operation and functions, or magical properties claimed for some substance or other. Add in mystical undertones, a few quotes from some new age nut’s website and you’re done. Not forgetting of course the link to the sales page where the, usually useless, overpriced product is sold!
This may seem an overly cynical view to some, but bear in mind we’re speaking of peoples health and lives here!
So how does one determine whether or not they’re reading the ramblings of a nut case, or the pronouncements of a maverick who’s possibly saving lives? Often a close look at what is being said is all that’s needed.
Health Websites and Forums.
A low carb forum that recently closed down was very quiet and largely dominated by the pronouncements of a poster who, whilst often offering sound advice, took things too far and started getting carried away with “new age” ramblings about antibiotics and how they were destroying us. This is typical of the way otherwise great health websites can be damaged.
Give it just a little thought and you can see how preposterous this. Yes, antibiotics were over prescribed in the 60s and 70s, but eventually, common sense prevailed and their use was restricted. This persons opinion was that bacteria were needed to detox and therefore “heal” the body we therefore should not interfere with them. She went on to postulate that as we consume so many toxins in our diet, the bacteria were working away to remove them! You couldn’t make it up!
Again, there’s a grain of truth in what she says as there are indeed an awful lot of essential bacteria in the body. However, anyone who has had a brush with meningococcal meningitis or some other life threatening infection knows the value of treatment with antibiotics. The point about this story is that with a bit of thought one can often distinguish between the crackpot ideas and the valid.
The saddest aspect of it is the way many people have come to distrust the health websites. After all is so many of them are rubbish, why not stay away altogether? This approach means one would be blissfully unaware of many of the aforementioned mavericks who have a valid argument that’s not yet accepted in the mainstream.
Health Websites, examples of What Goes Wrong
The carbohydrate/fat issue is a case in point, but there are a multitude of others. You can find a number of websites run by medical professionals who have seen the light and decided to to come out and write about the appalling advice given to diabetics. For one reason or another diabetics cannot handle sugars, Carbohydrates are converted into sugar (glucose) in the body so why foist a diet loaded with carbs on someone who can’t process them? Mad as it seems, this is the situation and many diabetics and their loved ones suffer because of it. All over the web you’ll find forums loaded with pompous posts from diabetics, who in many instances are experiencing less than perfect blood glucose levels, warning of the dangers of a low carb diet! Others who have suffered for years with pain and eye damage, post that they’ve found a dramatic improvement since cutting down or largely eliminating carbs from their diet, are labelled extremist troublemakers! It’s hard to defy the Zeitgeist especially when most of the medical profession are guided by government agencies that are funded by food and pharmaceutical companies.
Members of a UK diabetes forum were recently protesting about the sacking of a moderator who had banned a internationally known authority on low carbing. It seems they trusted a hard drinking ex police officer rather than a highly respected Doctor who had the temerity to point out that the claimed low carb/low fat diet of the individual concerned was not sustainable. It was under 1,000 calories a day and yet he says he maintains his weight!
Health Websites – A minefield for the unwary.
Again, all this is to illustrate that you have to be very wary of health websites, read them carefully and look at other opinions before committing yourself to something. The decision is made more difficult by the seriously bad information you may receive from your doctor in some instances. That’s not to say doctors are always wrong, just that they’re not always right!
It’s your body and your life so tread carefully when looking at health websites.