Articles
Fattened statistics. Recent media coverage of levels of obesity among children in Britain continues to inflate the scale of the phenomenon by using statistical methods that are fundamentally flawed. The Guardian, for example claimed, on the basis of data from the Health Survey for England (HSfE), that "26.7% of girls and 24.2% of boys [aged 11-15] qualified as obese." And yes, that is what the short release from the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre said as well. The problem is that these figures are based on the now outdated UK National BMI standards for defining obesity in children — cut-off points that have been described by leading experts in the field as 'arbitrary' and 'confusing'.
Reality TV food policy. The Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Ruth Kelly, seems to have received a achieved a boost to her popularity after she announced that from September 2006 'junk food' will be banned from the nation's school canteens. Riding on the wave of interest/disgust generated by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's TV series, which featured the now infamous Turkey Twizzler style of catering, she had earlier announced, just 6 weeks before the last election, that the government had found an extra £280million to plough into 'improvements' in children's diet. This, according to Kelly, had nothing to do with the TV programmes – the government were going to that anyway she claimed, much to most people's disbelief. Her more recent conversion to the food activists' cause also looks suspiciously like another populist, knee-jerk reaction than an evidence-based approach to policy. Out will go 'poor quality' burgers and sausages, to be replaced with low-fat, low-sugar, low-salt alternatives. And no, our nation's children will no longer be able to indulge themselves with a fizzy drink of bar of chocolate because these will also be noticeably absent from the school vending machines.
An epidemic of confusion. One of the fundamental premises that guides thinking and research at SIRC is that people have the right of access to accurate and balanced health and lifestyle information, on the basis of which they can make informed decisions about how they lead their lives. They may choose, of course, to ignore the evidence and its implications. In liberal democracies we must concede that people are entitled to have bad habits. But when the facts are clearly and fairly presented they cannot claim that they have acted in ignorance or have been misled.
Obesity and the facts – New Study Questions True Prevalence of Childhood Obesity.
Claims of obesity 'epidemic' are not supported by evidence … 'Hype and exaggeration' of data may result in inappropriate health interventions. Beliefs that childhood obesity is at epidemic levels and is rising exponentially are no more than unsupported speculation, according to recent data from the annual Health Survey for England 2003, published by the Department of Health on December 14th 2004, and analysed by the Oxford-based Social Issues Research Centre.
Know Your Place – Headmap manifesto and the spatialised internet revolution.
"there are notes in boxes that are empty.
every room has an accessible history
every place has emotional attachments you can open and save
you can search for sadness in new york"
Headmap manifesto
No, these words are not bad poetry. Nor are they song lyrics. They aren't even from an advertisement for mobile phones. They form part of a technological vision of the future, heralding an age in which our spatial experiences can be overlaid with a rich layer of information – images, text, sound – through GPS capable mobile WiFi devices and a lot of community spirit. This is the Headmap manifesto, an exploration of the technological, and more importantly the social, potential of an 'outside internet' – external, spatialised computing.
The desire for desires — Why reports of the death of boredom have been greatly exaggerated. Our frantic attempts to avoid boredom uphold a lucrative corner of the entertainment industry, while the variety of books, websites, TV programmes and videos aimed at children and called "Boredom Busters" suggests that ennui has no age restriction. This is no new development — obsessive texting is hardly on a level with watching lions rip gladiators to shreds for entertainment, and, as the British public seem to be moving on to a stage where fox-hunting is no longer seen as a justifiable, fun diversion, we must be doing something right. However, some pundits have recently pointed out that obsessive avoidance of boredom (apart from being quite dull in itself — have you ever tried to have a decent conversation with an extreme sports enthusiast?) denies access to the certain kind of mental space which boredom brings and in doing so leaves us creatively and spiritually malnourished. In other words, boredom is becoming 'a lost art form'.
"Love e, Love e not…" Why the UK's ambivalence towards new technologies should be treasured. Looking around any crowded train carriage in Britain, one would be justified in thinking that our culture has whole-heartedly embraced the benefits of mobile technology. Letting your loved ones know that yes, you are on the 5.20pm train and shall indeed be home for dinner, is now nationally recognised as a token of responsibility rather than a mindless waste of money and privacy…However, recent studies on British attitudes to new technologies, including workplace IT and home mobile technology, suggest that as a demographic we are deeply suspicious of new developments.
Policy Analysis Market and the Political Yuck Factor — why Americans shied away from a geopolitical futures market. The Pentagon unit DARPA (Defence Advanced Research Projects Unit), almost immediately after the WTC attack, formulated a plan for an on-line market in Middle-East futures, hoping that the lure of massive financial rewards for correct bets on, say, the likelihood of a biochemical attack on Israel, would attract investors with genuine inside information. The market, known as the Policy Analysis Market, or PAM, never got off the ground. Democrat politicians in the Senate uncovered the plan in July 2003 and it was dropped amid public outcry.
Poverty and obesity. Amidst the disoriented casting around for culprits and simple solutions, driven hard by media hype, it was refreshing to read in the Observer a thoughtful article by David Smith that for once dealt with some of the real issues underlying the rise in obesity — poverty and disadvantage.
Authenticity and the New Realism. At a time when Christian Dior make woolly hats and a vacuous celebrity's plastic breasts are headline news, the hunt for authenticity can seem a bit like a fool's crusade.
How deep is your ecology? The post-Enlightenment Western worldview is a fairly easy scapegoat for social problems of any ilk. Indeed, the individualist, patriarchal, optimistic outlook can be blamed for many things, from the historical subordination of women to the state of modern pop music. The assumption that the "Western" thought perspective does not allow for true experience or insight is simply false and idealistic.
Run for your life by Dale M. Atrens. "As both No. 10 and the popular press remind us on a daily basis, we are becoming fatter at an alarming rate. According to current projections by next Christmas most of us will show up in aerial photographs."
"We ARE traffic!" — Critical Mass and the politicisation of the bicycle. The loaded symbolism that is associated with the car and the bicycle, and any perceived conflict between the two, is basically irrational. However, it exists, and this is what makes Critical Mass a successful, if amorphous and undefinable, movement.
Soham Voyeurs? — Is the clear and often demonstrated public interest in the details of criminal cases actually an indication of a voyeuristic and amoral culture?
Free for all? — drawing parallels between George Bush's ideal democracy and the political institutions of "The Village".
Killer hamburgers ride again — The Blair government is about to get tough on obesity in children. An emergency salt summit is being held. The hounds of hysteria are baying loudly. The Observer grimly observed "Official: fat epidemic will cut life expectancy." This catchy prediction is a theoretical calculation that flies in the face of easily observable facts. The increase in weight observed in the UK and other western nations is not correctly described as an 'epidemic'. It has been going on steadily for about 50 years as life expectancy has steadily increased.
Little White Lies? — still plenty of sugar chez Blanc.
Dadaist lunacy or the future of protest? — an introduction to the world of flash-mobbing.
Birds on the wire — confronting our phone fears.
Too fat to die? — The US Army, the Battle of the Bulge and the BMI.
Sin, Salvation and Celery Juice — Detox Diets.
Blanc Sour — rewriting theories of human nutrition.
Cheap'n'Nasty — Pornography and processed food.
Totally In Control — The rise of pro-ana/ pro-mia websites.
Ethics and ecofascism — review of Designer Food: Mutant Harvest or Breadbasket of the World. by Gregory E. Pence
Food Junkies — helpless victims of the fat capitalists?.
The Scientific Divide — Prof. Tom Sanders' speech at the Food Foundation debate.
In praise of bad habits — the ICR lecture.
The fear of acronyms — 3-MCPD and the perils of toast.
Science and agriculture in Africa — an article by Boru Douthwaite of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.
Brain and mouth disease — by Lionel Tiger — food and the pursuit of pleasure.
Democracy at work? — shortcomings at the Food Standards Agency.
Vested interests? — public perceptions of organic farming are "mythical"?
2001 — The year of new reason? — Welcome changes in media coverage of health and science issues.
The Tyranny of Health: Doctors and the regulation of lifestyle. A review of Michael Fitzpatrick's new book.
Closing time at the Last-Chance Saloon? Over 10 years ago the then National Heritage Secretary, David Mellor, commented that the behaviour of some parts of the British media was so outrageous that controls on the 'sacred cow' of press freedom were necessary to curb their more extreme activities.
Homocysteine will be 'the new Cholesterol'? SIRC's monitoring of trends in dietary fashions and taboos indicates that meat will be the next nutritional folk-devil. In recent years, fat-bashing and fears about cholesterol, while still popular, have been overtaken to some extent by carbo-phobia and anxiety about 'glycemic load'.
The madness of Prince Charles. HRH Prince Charles' Reith lecture, Respect for the earth — A royal view, has angered and depressed in equal measure the entire science community. His mystical, and at times quite whimsical, views on the sacred status of nature started to make even Vandana Shiva's earlier lecture in the series seem half-way sensible.
Back to nature in India? Vandana Shiva's Reith lecture, Poverty and Globalisation, has predictably increased her standing among elitist, Western, green activist groups and anti-globalisation protesters. At the same time it has depressed many people with a more rational concern for poverty and hunger in the Southern Hemisphere.
Oxfam Hits Back on GM Stance. We reported in November 1999 the attack on Oxfam's position on GM crops made by Vandana Shiva, head of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology in New Dehli. (See Oxfam Berated by Eco-Activists) Oxfam have now replied to this seemingly callous criticism, and we are happy to respond to a request by Koos Neefjes, their Policy Advisor, to feature this reply on our web site.
Backlash against the anxiety makers. Our 'Scares and Panics' column on the Mediawatch page usually has space for only a small fraction of the anxiety-generating articles which litter our newspapers every morning. It is difficult to find anything which has unequivocally been declared safe by the 'experts'. Hidden dangers are portrayed as lurking in every aspect of our lives, from the food we eat to the phones we use, and even the pet dog that we love and cherish.
All-American Food Fight. Unnoticed so far by the British media there is what is being described as the "All-American Food Fight" currently in progress in the United States. No, this has nothing to do with genetically modified crops — an issue which keeps the British in constant fear of turning into monsters. No, it is to do with what is normally the rather mundane subject of official dietary advice. With more than 1 in 6 of the American population now officially deemed to be obese, the interest in such things is high.
Oxfam berated by Eco-activists. Oxfam's recent position paper, Genetically Modified Crops, World Trade and Security is a thoughtful and balanced document. It is rightly concerned that the introduction of GM crops in the third world may lead to a consolidation of control of local agriculture by large, agro-industrial companies. It recognises, however, that GM crops, with their higher yields, "could be of benefit to poor farmers in the longer term if applications are directed to their needs."
F.I.T. only for the waste bin. The 'British National Survey on Genetically Modified Foods', currently being conducted by the Food Information Trust, is one of the most blatantly biased and unscientific studies we at SIRC have ever encountered.
Scaremongers: the new threat to children's healthThe current MMR vaccination crisis, which experts predict will lead to a measles epidemic, has highlighted a new public health problem: 'riskfactorphobia' — a psychological side effect of health scares.
The tide turns against Greenpeace Greenpeace anti-GM food activists may well have done the organisation's reputation irreparable damage. In place of the pious deference shown by the British Press to the movement's every word on biotechnology, a consensus is now growing that the mindless vandalism of recent weeks has gone too far.
Another Unfounded Food Scare?
The scaremongers are at it again, and this time they are causing unnecessary alarm about a rapidly increasing and profitable trend in food production. Among their unfounded allegations are those concerning increased risks of liver cancer from aflatoxins in food, the heightened dangers of E coli 0157 poisoning and the presence of the potentially lethal organism Citobacter freundii.
A Little Bit of What You Fancy
In a highly personal and poignant article, Desmond Morris explains how his own experiences have reinforced his scientific views on the importance of avoiding anxiety and stress about what we eat.
GM Foods OK in US
It seems ironic that in the United States, a country obsessed with food safety and prone to whimsical dietary fads, confidence in genetically modified foods is very high. There is no talk of ‘Frankenstein’ Food. Nor is there the irrational fear about so-called ‘tinkering with nature’ which occupies the mind of so many British consumers. Instead, the large majority of Americans see GM foods as having many benefits, both now and in the future.
Big Mouth: Food and pleasure
(From Lionel Tiger's 'The Pursuit of Pleasure')
Human beings are like other mammals in that they often receive their first food directly from their mother's body. But it is difficult to imagine any other mammal having such variety, complexity, and intensity of experiences surrounding food. No other creature on earth enjoys as much as people do so many kinds of pleasure from food — simple, complex, real, symbolic, basic, luxurious.
The secret agendas of health promotion
A recent paper published in a leading health promotion journal reveals
the 'fanatical zeal', 'secretive' processes and 'hidden agendas' of health
promotion professionals.
Shopping Malls: The New Village Green
A contribution from Professor Robin Fox — a member of SIRC's advisory panel
Do healthy adults need screening
Routine screening is now part of what we take to be responsible, preventative medicine. Most people assume that there are significant benefits to be gained from such procedures. Surely, if potentially fatal diseases can be detected at an early stage and cured, then we should be screened more often.
Beware the Precautionary Principle
A new mantra is beginning to occupy pride of place in debates on all environmental issues, whether they be to do with food safety, genetic engineering or global warming — the precautionary principle. Originating in 1960s Germany as Vorsorgeprinzip (literally foresight planning) it has been increasingly seized upon by green activists and other romantics since the 1970s as an unanswerable credo — when considering technological innovation, exercise caution with regard to its potential consequences.
No more good air days
In line with the current trend towards environmental doom and gloom, weather forecasters will no longer be allowed to end their broadcasts with a cheerful "…and the air quality today will be Very Good". The very best we can expect to hear is that "pollution levels will be Low".
Recycling — the sacred cow of enviromentalism
Is the often holier-than-thou crusade to recycle everything from newspapers to beer bottles a way of saving the planet? Or is it just a modern manifestation of mass anal retentiveness?
Red meat and the health-scare gravy train
The widely leaked Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA) report on red meat and cancer upset another venerable body of health professionals: the World Cancer Research Fund. Not that the WCRF disagreed with COMA's findings. Quite the opposite. It is just that COMA raced to the press briefings before them and threatened to steal all the limelight. For this reason the WCRF retaliated by rushing out their own 600-page report, which says much the same thing about the evils of red meat. They are also setting up road shows around the world to show that they not COMA are the true guardians of public health.
Health stories: Reading between the lines
We are all rightly concerned about our health, and recognise that what we eat has a profound effect on our physical and mental well-being. It is also very appropriate that the media — whether newspapers, magazines, TV programmes or even Internet Web sites — should recognise these concerns and provide us with sensible guidelines based on current and emerging scientific research. Few people have time to read the learned journals on diet and nutrition, and even fewer have the academic training to understand them fully. So we rely on journalists and popular writers to make the material more accessible.
