Smoke Signals Special Edition: Who Is WHO Kidding? 
November 2, 2015

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Smoke Signals is the free e-newsletter from Barbecue Whisperer and Hedonism Evangelist, Meathead, and the team at AmazingRibs.com. We use Smoke Signals to tell folks about what's new in Barbecutopia & Grillandia. If you like it, please forward a copy to a friend. And remember: No rules in the bedroom or dining room!
Who Is WHO Kidding? An Analysis of the Silliness in the Press over the Recent Warnings About Eating Meat.  Meathead Looks at the Science Behind the World Health Organization Study 
I know you've seen the headlines. Mass media has gotten a hold of the World Health Organization's recent findings and gone amok. It's an easy story to write -- sensationalize, rather -- without looking at the actual science, or lack of science, behind communicating the results.

I've found a number of important nuances to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations' public health arm, that the fear-mongering mass media isn't telling right now: 
  • Significant dissenting opinions among scientists on the WHO panel. Only 68% of the panel agreed to the findings published.
  • Grouping processed meats and red meats together with cigarettes and asbestos equates risks of eating meats without considering the risk or probability that one will develop colorectal cancer.
  • Increasing the baseline, average odds of developing colorectal cancer by 18% seems like it's a lot, but it isn't. The average lifetime risk of that kind of cancer is under 5% overall. Increasing 5% by 18% is still an overall risk of 6%.
  • Narrowed down from a field of 800 studies, the WHO study is a study of 33 epidemiological, or observational, studies. Epidemiological studies are the least scientifically reliable, because they rely on its subjects to accurately report data via food diaries.
  • A majority of the studies chosen by the WHO found no correlation between red meat and cancer.
  • Making it all worse are sloppy and shoddy media reporting, whooping everyone into a food scare.
  • The WHO damaged their reputation (I and others are now coming forward with critical analysis) and missed an opportunity to teach, communicate the public and the media about colorectal cancer.

Before we get too far into prime holiday cooking season, you may be interested in brushing up your readings on food, health, and safety:

Food and health

Food and safety
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