The 5 Most Ridiculously Over-Hyped Health Scares of All Time

Cracked.com ^ | Adam Brown

[Slings and Arrows]

Fear is our national pastime. As a society, we have a long history of getting whipped into a collective frenzy over threats to our health or children that are nearly (or completely) non-existent. No danger is too small or remote to be exaggerated and screamed from the headlines.

For example:

[Slings and Arrows]

WARNING: Contains strong language, common sense.

[Slings and Arrows]

From now on I get all my science news from Cracked.com

[sushiman]

[beaversmom]

Campbell Brown (Tracey Ullman) and the Nightly sense of impeding doom (Compilation):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_4eTbfp74o

[Lovebloggers]

This was good.

[Daffynition]

[Slings and Arrows]

Won’t MSNBC be jealous!

[ko_kyi]

The most overhyped health scare I can recall was the one about having a house near high-tension power lines. If I recall correctly, some guy claimed it was associated with leukemia. Aggreate losses to property values exceed 1 TRILLION dollars nationwide.

Then some other people analyzed his data, and said that his findings don’t match his results. The guy said essentially that he was sure he was right and he didn’t care that the data didn’t prove it.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Is one of them the latest fearmongering over tomatoes?

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Carbon Monoxide in products??

(trying to imagine...)

[phil1750]

Recent studies have shown that dihydrogen monoxide is the major component in acid rain, and has been found in substantial amounts in all cancer tumors.Congress needs to step in.

Additionally, 100% of those born between 1817 and 1884, who ate pickles, are now dead.(Where's legislation protecting us?)

[laotzu]

In the early '70s, my uncle would celebrate the end of each work day by drinking a cold one. He would go out to his driveway, drop the tailgate, sit in the shade, and drink a beer.

One day, the engine from a passing 727 tumbled from the sky and crushed him to death.

Of course, it was ruled as yet another senseless alcohol-related death.

[MosesKnows]

Fear is our national pastime

All past, and virtually all recent studies, prove conclusively that the death rate has hovered around 100% for many centuries...and is very likely to remain so for centuries to come.

[MosesKnows]

I would prefer to die in peacefully, in my sleep, like my grandfather, not screaming in terror like his passengers.

[Daffynition]

Carbon-monoxide-treated meat ... “it’s a good thing” ... if you are a meat purveyor. ;)

[Slings and Arrows]

It’s the noise level that’s interesting.

[AFPhys]

I don’t see how they missed the stupid second hand smoke garbage. I think that is easily in the top five list, well above the cranberry scare.

[SunkenCiv]

British Man Dies After Inhaling Spores Of Garden Fungus
All Headline News | June 14, 2008 | Nidhi Sharma
Posted on 06/14/2008 5:40:27 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2031237/posts

NY health official: Higher tax helps smokers quit (some dissension)
Associated Press | Jun 15, 2008 | Valerie Bauman
Posted on 06/15/2008 4:07:02 PM PDT by decimon
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2031573/posts

[Dutch14]

I heard that there’s an awful lot of dihydrogen monoxide causing problems in the Midwest. I support the ban!

[Grizzled Bear]

You forgot “Death by Wombat.” I’m sure it’s somewhere between “Severe” and “High.”