Bad Science News of the Week

[hummingwolf]

For those who haven't read it yet:

The Junkfood Science analysis of that stupid "study" claiming that obesity is contagious--that merely having fat friends can make you fat.

The above link via lindsaybits. I was going to post something earlier in the week about the various articles floating around, but haven't had the energy to develop the quantity of froth at the mouth that this stupidity so richly deserves.

Comments

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

What's this? Bad science used in the service of societal fat-shaming?

Say it ain't so!

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

I just loved the NYT writer's slant on it. "This doesn't mean you should just dump your fat friends--after all, having friends is good for your health! No, what you need to do is make friends with more thin people!" Which does make me wonder if that writer's just a very lonely skinny person.

[lindsaybits]

What's really frustrating is that Gina Kolata is the author of "Rethinking Thin", and =should= know better. I haven't read that book yet, but a lot of the people in the fat acceptance community are (or were) nuts about her.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Ouch, that really is sad. (I knew I knew that name from somewhere.)

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

I remember when the New York Times was "the paper of record". Now it seems to be "the national tabloid".

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

It's no wonder The Weekly World News can't compete.

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

thank you for the link. i saw the story yesterday and am happy to see it debunked.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

I'm happy to see it debunked by someone who knows what they're talking about. If I'd commented on it, it would only have been ranting and frothing at the mouth. That might've been entertaining, but not terrifically enlightening.

[unwilly.livejournal.com]

Of course having fat friends doesn't make you fat.

Cake makes you fat. And french fries cooked in horse fat. And double pepperoni pizza.

MMmmmm.

I'm gonna go cook now.

And invite over some friends to get fat with.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Once again, I'd like to eat dinner at your place. I'd like some of that pizza, please (hold the horse fat)!

[unwilly.livejournal.com]

I'd love to have you over.

If I can swing a decent job, that is not a too fabulously out there idea.