UK Film Council is falling under the axe? This is a huge mistake, surely? They are killing off one branch of an industry that stands a chance of getting us through the financial mess we are in by creating investment and, theoretically, profit.
If Tim Bevan thinks it's a bad idea, that's pretty much good enough for me. I suggest that Working Title have their finger on the pulse, so if he ain't happy....
Well anyway, what ever you reckon, in my book it's a bad move.
When they could save 2 billion (yeah, count those zeros) in the NHS per year, every year, by scrapping the Anti-cholesterol campaign - run by a bunch of nutters with no evidence but a theory they think sounds good? [Lower your cholesterol and the evidence suggests that you are wiping out one of your body's main defense systems and raising your chances of death, from all causes!] Well IMO, the powers that be are nuts for backing such madness.
Want to know more? Read: the Great Cholesterol Con, the truth about what really causes heart disease and how to avoid it by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, ISBN: 978-1-84454-610-7.
Or you could read the books on the subject by Dr. Uffe Ravnskov.
Or if you prefer a layman's take, you could read the works of Barry Groves - although you may find his Trick And Treat, Why Healthy Eating Is Making Us Ill a little too full of scientific references and studies, and disturbing information to be the easiest read in the world, Natural Heath and Weight Loss is a much easier ride.
Personally if you like a dark, mildly sick sense of humour with your science, Dr Kendrick's book is very accessible to the layman, and has a tonne of medical facts and references. This dude knows his stuff. Check it out.
Seriously!
We're are all being taken for a huge ride by big industry, who want to sell more statins - You think you suffer from paranoid conspiracy theories, check out the way these guys operate - It ain't paranoia, and it ain't a theory. They are the dudes that fund the flawed studies by organisations like WHO (not the band), that the government take their expert advice from. !? W.T.F.!!!
Sorry. Platform. GRRRRRRRRRR!!! Anyhow, read the books. Check out http://thincs.org/
I'm off to grind my teeth.
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
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EDIT: 27 Feb 2011
The need to rant some more has raised it's ugly head again, so, just to add to the who cholesterol debate - for passers by who may want to know:
The mortality tables show that low cholesterol is linked to a higher death rate from all causes.
You might want to think about that before tucking into your cholesterol lowering death-spread?
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4 comments:
I agree that the statin industry is ridiculous in the amount of money they make, and how they try to make practically ANYONE take it ---
but they DO have uses and DO save many many lives; more so than the equivilent -- of not taking any.
I've read the book. It's written like excitable conspiratorial bullshit. When people write in that style, it's convincing, often- but is not going to be taking too seriously by the wider world.
There are problems with statins. i.e. - the side effects that often come along. It's like, on a simple level, statins lower cholesterol but also lower co-enzyme levels-- which can also cause heart problems. Therefore, statin-takers should perhaps also take coq10 supplements. But this simple fact, in the hands of the author; was like five paragraphs worth of drivel.
There are PROBLEMS with statins, and the huge money-makingness of it -- but there are also problems with the 'anti-statin' people. I think both sides need to sit down and have a good chat. Because otherwise a lot of innocent people are going to keep getting thrown about.
Sorry, spelling errors in that last one.
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Are you talking about Dr. Kendrick's book? Or one of the others?
I didn't see him treating that as drivel... I saw him putting that forward as a supportive arguement for statins, however brief.
See, IMO, not enough research has been done to justify the vilification of cholesterol. - - From everything that I've been reading (and I'm no Doctor, so take my words with a pinch of salt) cholesterol appears to be a protective substance that, er, protects against a whole host of other disease processes ... and by attempting to lower it, we are likely opening ourselves up to increased mortality from ALL SOURCES, particularly as we get older.
Sure statins have been shown, in some studies, to have a protective effect in men with pre-existing heart conditions - but if you aren't in that group, they appear to be of no benefit; indeed the mounting evidence indicates that the cholesterol lowering that they engender may be extremely harmful.
I'm more concerned that the anti-cholesterol message is being adopted by the margerine companies to encourage sales of their product on the back of what may be a seriously flawed and possibly downright dangerous message. - Thereby getting the notion that cholesterol is bad into the minds of the general public, when in fact there is very little research that backs that up, and a great deal that indicates that it is totally wrong.
You'll notice, in the Flora Pro-Active advert, Unilever has covered it's behind by using language along the lines of "My friends said..."
This post is getting way to long - and I'm supposed to be writing, not ranting. ;)
So, if you will forgive me, I shall retire to persue alien plague scenarios.
ADDENDUM:
Regarding writing style, I found Dr Kendrick's book carefully and clearly argued, and highly amusing. I chortled my way through much of it. His use of dry wit and use of excessive mockery regarding the folks who claim to be scientists but then ignore proper scientific method when they conduct experiments to test their hypothesis, and/or, ignore their own results - instead writing a conclusion that suits their own agenda...Well, to my mind it seemed very appropriate.
People who choose to be that blinded by their own hypothesis (instead of remaining impartial, and finding a new hypothesis once the old one has been disproved) deserve to be mocked IMO ... what else can you do to call attention to such foolishness - other than cry with despair at the whole fiasco?
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