advice

Health: Should You Listen to Media Experts?

Jeffrey L. Brown, M.D.

Medical and health-related advice from media experts greatly affects the way we live our lives and raise our children. In response to our craving for new information, we receive a steady stream of expert opinions on television, radio, magazines and newspapers. They keep us extremely well informed, but the emphasis on sensationalism can make the information they offer very confusing and create a very pessimistic outlook on life. First we are told to stay indoors to avoid toxins and germs. But then we are warned that too little sunlight and exercise leads to depression and heart disease. Experts tell us to eat more fruits and vegetables, but then remind us that pesticide residues can cause cancer. It is no wonder that many of us are immobilized by warnings to listen for the next warning. Critical awareness is the essential element for evaluating these reports on health that are often fragmented and exaggerated. And we must learn how to discriminate between those that are merely trying to attract our attention and those that might have true value. To best evaluate all of this information, here are some important questions we should all be asking:

WHAT IS THE EXPERT AN EXPERT OF?

Be sure that the expert offering advice on health has a reasonable basis for making his or her recommendations. Good advice does not necessarily have to come from healthcare professionals; some well-known celebrities have dedicated a great deal of time to educate themselves about issues of health. But most use popularity and attractive appearance as their only credentials for giving advice on topics that range from how to discipline your child to what they think represents good nutrition. Before accepting health-related advice from an entertainer or a professional athlete, first decide whether you would ask your dentist or physician to give you fashion tips or tennis lessons.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE EXPERT’S PERSONALITY?

When you receive a warning from someone you might consider to be a "worry-wart" it might be less meaningful than when it comes from someone who usually plays down danger. It is easy to put advice into the context of personality when you know the person giving it – as happens when you visit your personal physician. But when you read a short article or quote, or when the advice is given on the radio or on television, it can be very difficult to tell whether this particular expert believes that everything is bad or good for you.

DOES THIS EXPERT HAVE A HIDDEN AGENDA?

There may be a hidden purpose behind the advice being offered. The expert seen on a TV talk show might be promoting a book, soliciting new clients or patients, or be trying to enhance his or her own reputation. Some might also be seeking funding for a new project or they might represent an organization that is trying to increase the sales of a particular food, medicine, service or product. In short, their message might have real educational and practical value but it may also be an unsuspected form of advertising.

Misleading headlines are notorious for creating erroneous impressions. The "new medical breakthrough" described in a headline often turns out to be in the experimental phase when you read the test of the article. Or you might learn that the headline "new and revolutionary treatment" uses technology that was discovered many years earlier.

HOW ARE NUMBERS BEING USED?

The ways in which numbers are incorporated into an expert’s statement or a news report can influence your conclusions.

To make a stronger impact on readers and viewers, the size of the group might not be mentioned. If the chance of getting an illness increased from 1 case to 2 cases per 100,000, an expert or a reporter might say that the incidence doubled even though the chance has little meaning. Or he or she might report that there were five new cases of serious food poisoning in the greater New York area during the past month without mentioning that this includes a population of eight million people. He or she might also neglect to report that these five cases actually represent a decline from the seven cases seen during the previous month.

WHAT TO DO

Media experts do offer advice that can be very useful. Here are some basic strategies that will help you use it to best advantage:

Think of the advice as a "helpful hint" rather than as a right or wrong thing to do.

Look for reports and commentary on the same story in other news sources.

Seek out the opinions of experts who disagree with the position being stated.

If numbers are used to strengthen an opinion, examine them carefully to see what they really mean. Next, reverse the numbers to see how they would sound if they were used to argue the opposite point of view.

Note the name of the expert and track his or her advice to see how it works for you and your family.

Discuss the advice with a qualified professional whose opinion you trust.

Listen carefully and be open-minded to new ideas that are opposite to yours. But be the most wary of acting on advice that will be very disruptive to your normal way of life, or if it will treat or change something that doesn’t seem to need treatment or changing.