Tuesday, 18 May 2010

Health Scare Story Du Jour (2)

The story itself ('Sausage not steak' increases heart disease risk) is of no particular interest, but what is interesting is:

1. This and the previous one were imported from the USA and Australia respectively, and not dreamed up by bansturbators in the UK.

2. Until a few weeks ago, a BBC article on this sort of thing would have been studded with rent-a-quotes from fakecharities - today's article only includes one*, and right at the end they allow a spokesman for the pork producers to respond.

3. Also of note is that the previous article said "animal fat = bad", but this one says "animal fat = harmless, it's the salt you should be worrying about".

* While I'm on the topic, has anybody else noticed that for the past few weeks there has been hardly any government sponsored advertising on the television? Until March or April 2010, nearly every single advertising block had at least one (for YouGov, benefit cheats, work permits for illegal immigrants, five-a-day stuff, Tax Credits, 'smoking cessation products', fakecharities etc etc'). Did Labour get a ticking off for using taxpayers' money for pushing party propaganda? And if so, from whom?

3 comments:

Dr Evil said...

I expect it was the election run up and 6 week moratorium on such matters, plus the money had probably run out. Check the Graun advertising for public sector jobs

Anonymous said...

During the past fortnight I've noticed two or three letters from doctors in the Times urging the Government not to cut off supplies to the Public Health trough. I'm hoping they are desperate and have good reason to be. CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health) should be the first to go.

ChrisM said...

I actually remarked to my wife a couple of evenings ago that I had notice much less government sponsored advertising in the last couple of weeks.