The first challenge and may be the most difficult for consumers is to make sense from the health information explosion. Many popular magazines regularly print health articles, newspapers often devote all parts for medicine, publication of abundant health newsletters, television programs have many health stories, and a large number of scientific health related studies published every day. It is estimated that there are 20,000 scientific, technical and medical articles that are published every year throughout the world and this is not included in the number of larger nonteknik articles. Interest in health information seems to have reached the highest point of all time.
The availability of so much health information has weaknesses; The main disadvantage is that so much confusing information, sometimes even contradictory. Even medical experts have difficulty separating the facts from fiction. It is unusual to see some new findings that are headlines one day and fully deny it. It has speculated that as many as 50% of medical advice that we follow today will be considered obsolete, or at least will undergo large modifications, for the next 5 years. For some people, people everywhere igniter and contradictions lead to an attitude sometimes referred to as health fatalism, which states that nothing can be trusted. People with fatalistic views ignore health information because they believe that new findings will definitely disagree with the facts previously received as true.
Some examples illustrate this. Sodium has long been associated with cardiovascular disease. But in 1995, the researchers found that men and women consumed less sodium had more heart attack. This finding is headlines in the popular press. Fast and strong reaction. Hypertensive patients suffering with bland, a low-salt diet for years threw their hands by disbelief and despair. Reducing sodium intake is no longer a good idea, instead increasing the risk of early death. Because it must be a little surprised because the number of countless people is fooled and misled. Fatalistic scenery produced on health care and medical advice can be understood. What is deposited with the headlines is that people affected by low sodium intake are hypertensive patients who use drugs to reduce blood pressure. In other words, the results are based on a very specific population group that does not represent the population in large hypertensive patients or even mainstreams. Also it is not determined whether the research population is involved in other behaviors (smoking, settling lifestyles, etc.) It may be more responsible than sodium for heart disease.
Hot Dog is another good example. The researchers found that children who ate more than a dozen hot dogs a month had a normal risk of childhood leukemia. This is the main title on the national television news program which was broadcast during the Prime Time. The public reaction borders hysterically. Parents who are frightened are overreacable in part because of irresponsible practices in television journalism and partly because they do not demand all facts. They believe the story is really true just because it was reported in the news. In the big picture of leukemia research, this is only one initial study that has a serious deficiency. For example, the results are based on the history of a rough diet. Also, the researchers cannot determine whether it’s a hot dog or something that is done by a hot dog or eating that might increase the risk of leukemia. If there is a causal relationship between hot dogs and leukemia, it will take a greater and more sophisticated study to prove it.
