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The 5 Most Ridiculously Over-Hyped Health Scares of All Time
Cracked.com ^ | Adam Brown

Posted on 06/16/2008 12:30:58 AM PDT by 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:

(Excerpt) Read more at cracked.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Humor; Science
KEYWORDS:
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WARNING: Contains strong language, common sense.
1 posted on 06/16/2008 12:33:04 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows
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To: Slings and Arrows; MeekOneGOP; Conspiracy Guy; DocRock; King Prout; Darksheare; OSHA; ...
From now on I get all my science news from Cracked.com


2 posted on 06/16/2008 12:34:26 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows ("Code Pink should guard against creating stereotypes in the Mincing Community." --Titan Magroyne)
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To: Slings and Arrows

3 posted on 06/16/2008 1:26:30 AM PDT by sushiman
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To: Slings and Arrows

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


4 posted on 06/16/2008 1:52:46 AM PDT by beaversmom
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To: Slings and Arrows

This was good.


5 posted on 06/16/2008 2:27:42 AM PDT by Lovebloggers (uate)
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To: Slings and Arrows

6 posted on 06/16/2008 3:15:51 AM PDT by Daffynition
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To: beaversmom

Won’t MSNBC be jealous!


7 posted on 06/16/2008 5:14:45 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows ("Code Pink should guard against creating stereotypes in the Mincing Community." --Titan Magroyne)
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To: Slings and Arrows

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.


8 posted on 06/16/2008 5:32:53 AM PDT by ko_kyi
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To: Slings and Arrows

Is one of them the latest fearmongering over tomatoes?


9 posted on 06/16/2008 6:46:27 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat (Just say NObama!)
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To: Daffynition

Carbon Monoxide in products??

(trying to imagine...)


10 posted on 06/16/2008 6:48:24 AM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network (CHEVY VOLT COUNTDOWN: V minus 108 Weeks. Waiting...)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network
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?)

11 posted on 06/16/2008 7:09:45 AM PDT by phil1750 (Love like you've never been hurt;Dance like nobody's watching;PRAY like it's your last prayer)
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To: phil1750
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.

12 posted on 06/16/2008 7:41:38 AM PDT by laotzu
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To: Slings and Arrows
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.

13 posted on 06/16/2008 8:09:05 AM PDT by MosesKnows (Love many, Trust few, and always paddle your own canoe)
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To: laotzu
I would prefer to die in peacefully, in my sleep, like my grandfather, not screaming in terror like his passengers.
14 posted on 06/16/2008 8:13:34 AM PDT by MosesKnows (Love many, Trust few, and always paddle your own canoe)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

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


15 posted on 06/16/2008 8:32:01 AM PDT by Daffynition
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To: MosesKnows

It’s the noise level that’s interesting.


16 posted on 06/16/2008 8:36:46 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows ("Code Pink should guard against creating stereotypes in the Mincing Community." --Titan Magroyne)
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To: Slings and Arrows

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.


17 posted on 06/16/2008 9:00:38 AM PDT by AFPhys ((.Praying for President Bush, our troops, their families, and all my American neighbors..))
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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


18 posted on 06/16/2008 9:29:23 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_________________________Profile updated Friday, May 30, 2008)
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To: phil1750

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


19 posted on 06/16/2008 11:09:38 AM PDT by Dutch14 (The last one out of the circus has to lock up everything...)
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To: Daffynition

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


20 posted on 06/16/2008 5:42:40 PM PDT by Grizzled Bear ("Does not play well with others.")
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