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by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.
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Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

Assess Your GR (Gullibility Risk) Level

Sunday May 20, 2001

"If the world will be gulled, let it be gulled." (Robert Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy, 1651.)

"We seek and offer ourselves to be gulled." (Michel De Montaigne, Essays: Book Three--Of Vanity, 1580.)

"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you have to concentrate on." (President George W. Bush, joking at the Gridiron Club Dinner, 2001.)

How easily are you fooled, or gulled, as being snookered used to be called? A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair last year by demonstrating that there is no shortage of prey who seek and offer themselves to be gulled. The student won by collecting signatures demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical dihydrogen monoxide. To support his petition, he listed the hazards of this chemical, including:

It can cause excessive sweating and vomiting.
It is a major component in acid rain.
It can cause severe burns in its gaseous state.
Accidental inhalation can kill you.
It contributes to erosion.
It decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes.
It has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients.

He asked 50 people if they supported a ban. Forty-three (43) favored the idea, six (6) were undecided. The other person happened to know, or at least did a little checking, and discovered that the chemical, dihydrogen monoxide, is water (H20).

The title of the prize-winning project was How Gullible Are We? The answer to his question, I submit, is quite, unless we continually learn and practice effective decision--making or critical thinking. Most people need critical thinking lessons, reminders, tips and resources more than they need additional pills, potions, prescriptions and providers of medical care.

I thought of this experiment recently when Federal investigators in the office of the Health and Human Services Department called for more stringent regulation of dietary supplements. It turns out that there are mystery ingredients in 32 percent of supplements that caused "adverse drug events." Furthermore, the FDA does not even have product labels for 77 percent of supplements. I thought of the high school student's experiment again when I read last month that the FDA wants to stop the drug and advertising industries from running ads that confuse consumers and adversely impact the relationship between patients and their health care providers.

What, exactly, is advertising supposed to do if not create a desire to buy a product, whether or not it is useful, effective or even needed by the consumer? That's why the drug industry has spent $2.6 billion dollars since 1997 when the FDA rendered a decision giving them permission to do just that, namely, advertise their drugs. Does anyone expect ads to convey objective information that informs a consumer to the point where he might decide that he doesn't need the product?

So, what do you think about your own vulnerability to being taken? Are you easy prey, or do you view petitions, labels and advertising with bemused skepticism? Are you quick to look for objective evidence before buying supplements, do you comparison shop before buying used cars or ancient Chinese herbs, and do you get second and sometimes more opinions on important matters?

Basically, I suppose my questions are invitations for you to assess how important you believe it is for consumers to empower themselves in general, and to be cautious in specific cases when choosing pills or other remedies for what does or might ail them. I'm sure you feel as I do that effective decision-making is an important skill area for everyone who chooses to pursue a self-managing lifestyle.

It's one thing to look on the bright side, which is always a good idea, but first make the best decisions you can about all things, especially those that can either ruin your health or make you healthier. Good luck.

Domain: mental
Subdomain: effective decisions

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