"You can't handle the truth" shouted the angry officer memorably portrayed by Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men. I've sometimes had the same thought in my quest to deliver objective, life-saving information to patients, friends, and media audiences. Let's stipulate that in matters of art, music, and food, there are usually no right or wrong choices: de gustibus non disputandum est, as they said in ancient Rome.
In the world of academic medicine, however, proper logic, statistical analysis, and reasoned extrapolation are indispensable components of scholarly opinions. This was my environment from 1975 to 1983, the years I spent as a medical student, extern, intern, and resident at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. My professors included pioneering cardiologists like Sterling Jonas, David Dresdale, and Adrian Kantrowitz. Dazzlingly brilliant clinicians such as Norman Brunner and Nathaniel Plotkin seemingly knew every word in the textbooks of internal medicine.
It was not enough for students to have the answer to every question asked on morning rounds or the noon conference; often, a direct citation of a particular study, medical article, or editorial was necessary--chapter, verse, and word, as it were, not unlike the duties of a biblical scholar.
May we contrast this education with the sensory bombardment you endure every day, listening to "advice" from "health reporters" whose hospital experience may be limited to watching bedpans emptied on a popular medical/soap-opera television show? How about the unsolicited "pop-ups" on your Internet browser that give you the latest "nutritional" information? Stop by your local bookstore and count the number of "health books" written by television personalities, whose unique qualifications make such trifles as a college diploma, medical degree, and hospital experience totally unnecessary.
Sad to say, scientific reality is very much a part of human illness--and therefore a set of basic truths, whether we are willing to face these or not. "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise"--except if you are an overweight diabetic, in which case retinal hemorrhages, dialysis, and impotence might become part of your daily routine. The "truth" that "you can eat whatever you want" with no consequences will eventually become a distant memory.
How do you know that a particular "diet" works well? From promotional advertising? From the testimonials of a few well-paid "patients"? From the mere fact that the products are sold in your local box-store or pharmacy? Do you also believe the claims of every car manufacturer? Do you see every movie released because there are a few good reviews cited in the ads? On Election Day, do you break the handle in your voting booth as you cast your ballot for every candidate? How could you disbelieve any of them?
When I discuss the "success rate" of various famous "diet" programs in a radio interview--as reported by the Journal of the American Medical Association, the British Medical Journal, the Annals of Internal Medicine (none are available at your supermarket check-out counter)--I watch the host's facial expression change into that of a child who has just discovered the truth about the Easter Bunny. The disconnect between the perceived "reality" and the actual truth is a chasm wider than Grand Canyon, even though the data is easily found on the Internet or in any medical library.
If knowledge is power, Americans have a steep learning curve as far as health matters are concerned, especially regarding weight loss. There is enough misinformation to fill several [incorrect] textbooks. Perhaps we should resurrect an expression from the 1960's: "Everything you know is wrong." Yet the more we look for the truth, particularly where our lives are at stake, the better and longer are lives can be. Critical thinking will pay off more when it is applied to critical issues--and there is nothing more important than your own health, safety, longevity, and happiness--all of which are bound inextricably to each other...and to the truth.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment