A New York Times piece urges young women to know their health numbers like blood pressure and cholesterol. Yet the advice lacks facts and depth. Over focus on stats may cause numericide in four troubling forms that harm real well being.
The recent New York Times article on rising heart disease in young women offers little substance. It pushes women to monitor numbers such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This approach comes across as light on evidence and heavy on simple slogans that fail to address true health causes.
Numericide appears in four main forms when people fixate on these figures. Doctors may overprescribe drugs to hit targets while ignoring patient symptoms. Patients grow anxious over minor changes in readings. Public health messages promote fear based on averages that do not fit individuals.
This numeric focus distracts from lifestyle and environmental factors that truly matter. Simple advice on diet and exercise gets lost in the rush for tests and pills. Readers should question such stories and seek balanced views on what keeps people healthy over time.
Original Author: Alan Cassels | Source: Brownstone Institute
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