Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Oh Please!

This article is just so full of it, particularly the headline which reads, “Having Lots of Kids Helps Dads Live to 100.” The article then goes on to say that farming also helps men live to 100, as does keeping off excess weight in youth. That part I can agree with. Farming can be a healthy activity. Farmers get lots of exercise, they are out in the fresh air a lot, and the potential is there for them to eat a healthy diet with food taken right from their farm. And of course it is healthy to keep off excess weight, in one’s youth or at any other time of one’s life. But I really doubt that having lots of kids helps men live to 100. Even the article itself says that “based on previous studies by other authors, and common sense, quite the opposite could be expected.” I tend to agree with the common sense part. My grandfather had four children and he died at the age of 77. Why? Because he smoked, ate an unhealthy diet which included lots of saturated fats, and at times he bordered on obesity. Also, maybe there was something in his genetic history that kept him from living longer, although many of his siblings lived into their 90s. Having four kids had nothing to do with it. Leading an unhealthy lifestyle had a lot to do with it.

Articles like these really make me mad. They are like articles in which you can prove almost anything if you choose the right statistics. In articles like these, some of the most outrageous conclusions can come up depending on what you are looking for. Much of that depends on coincidence. Surely you’re not going to tell me, “Go out, have four kids, and you’ll live to 100.” That’s ridiculous, and I think much of this study is ridiculous as well.


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4 comments:

Raggedy said...

That does sound ridiculous!
I hope people are smart enough not to believe these things.

Gobble Gobble
Happy Thanksgiving!
*^_^
(=':'=) huggles
(")_ (")Š from
da Raggedy one

sea_lace said...

Hi there! I just found your blog - and I think it's great! In one of your last posts you mentioned that you were a 60-year-old man and that you watch what you eat, exercise daily, and are very conscious of nutrition and health. Unfortunately, not many people your age are so conscious. I'm currently pursing my second bachelor's degree - this time in nutrition. I think that your blog is very insightful and that you are an inspiration to people of all ages who need to be educated/aware of their health. By the way, I am also a vegetarian (only for the past 5 months) but have contemplated veganism.

Keep up the good posts. Your blog is very interesting. If you don't mind, I'll keep visiting and reading!

Ed Bremson, MFA said...

dear sea lace
thanks for the nice comment. Yes, I might be a vegan, but I occasionally cook with beef broth, or sprinkle a little cheese on my pasta.

Occasionally I might have an espresso in the cold weather, but I usually drink only green tea. Now I am up to four cups per day. Normally drinking that much tea I would be in the bathroom all the time, but I use one tea bag for one half cup of water. That way I cut down on my water and sugar, and I still get the benefits of the tea, which I do not find to be too strong.

Anyway, good luck with your school. I am working on my master's degree online in creative writing at National University (http://www.nu.edu) Check them out. You might want to use them too in the future. Their programs are really cool, and not that expensive considering what you get and the short time involved. I'm getting an MFA in about 15 or 16 months, online.

Raggedy said...

Happy New Year!
Huggles and Love,
Raggedy