Posted on 11/30/2004 5:27:49 AM PST by OESY
...The Centers for Disease Control has acknowledged that an earlier study inflated the number of obesity-related deaths in the U.S.
It turns out that obesity isn't on track to overtake smoking as the nation's No. 1 cause of preventable deaths, or at least not anytime soon. A widely cited CDC study released in March said the number of deaths tied to physical inactivity and poor diet increased by 100,000, or 33%, between 1990 and 2000.
Now the government says those numbers are way off due to faulty methodology, and it plans to revise the figures downward. Internal CDC documents reviewed by the Journal's Betsy McKay, who broke the story, say the death toll may be overestimated by as many as 80,000 fatalities, which would put the increase from 1990 at less than 10%.
We're not suggesting that obesity isn't a serious problem, particularly among children. Even after the correction obesity will continue to be a cause of preventable death. But these findings could influence legal circles, where plaintiffs' lawyers are trying to panic the public into thinking an obesity "crisis" is upon us, and that the solution isn't greater personal responsibility but legal action against the food industry.
Earlier this year the House of Representatives passed the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act, which would shield food vendors from civil claims premised on weight gain. Like a lot of other tort reform legislation, however, Senate Democrats blocked it. Perhaps the bill will meet a different fate next year. We hope so, because allowing trial lawyers to exploit the obesity epidemic -- and encouraging Americans to blame their dietary excesses on someone else -- isn't going to make anyone healthier.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Do you think the high paid "scientists" at the CDC could have caught their error before they published?
What ever happened to peer review?
There are too many leftist activists in these agencies. I am sure Clinton stacked them all with nuts. We need to close most of these unConstitutional agencies and fire a bunch of high paid loafers.
Are certain "scientific studies" (whatever that means) driven by economic or ideological bias? Say it ain't so, Joe! CDC credibility overdue for big hit.
Show of hands: Is anybody surprised?
Anybody?
Anybody?
Anybody?
It's not an epidemic.
I agree. Public health is overwhelmingly a state/local function, and we could bolster state/local health departments at the expense of the CDC.
The death rate may have been overstated, but I haven't seen any retractions on the CDC website about numbers of overweight and obese Americans..
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