Studies and the Studiers Who Study Them
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 1:37 pm
So I've given up coffee. There are various reasons behind this decision, none of which are particularly important for the purpose of this thread.
As I was researching caffeine addiction, I came across some startling information about caffeine itself - primarily, how it works and what it can do to your body after a long time. (I promise this isn't going to turn into a preach session in which I try and convince all of you to give up coffee.)
I began to consider the nature of the few studies I read that supported and encouraged caffeine consumption. They all sounded like advertisements for pharmaceuticals. Yes, yes, there's a list of possible destructive side effects, but look at all the good things that can happen if you use it properly! Look at how happy this person is! In other words, they're basically commercials. Which leads me to the sneaking suspicion that studies "proving" the benefits of caffeine may very well be funded by coffee companies themselves.
In essence, every study needs to have funding. Further, it seems to me that every study performed these days has a specific goal the researchers are trying to achieve: "We're trying to prove that this happens..." "We're trying to disprove this guy's theory..." It makes sense that, say, Starbucks might shove a couple million dollars into a laboratory and say, "Make us look good."
I wouldn't put it past them. As for the researchers themselves, I imagine that, just like with any other profession, for every 100% honest one, there are three who are desperate, dishonest, or greedy enough to at least phrase things a certain way so that something sounds better than it should.
So what this rambling comes down to is: Do you ever feel like the "studies" touted by magazines and internet articles are trying to deceive you? Does it seem wrong to anyone else that something we should be able to rely on (scientific research) might be just as flawed and manipulative as commercial advertising? Do you think I'm just dead wrong and should stop thinking about stuff like this?
I'm interested to know what people think.
(PS: I just wanted to add that, having done both, I can say with some certainty that giving up coffee has been way, way harder than giving up cigarettes. I cannot explain this.)
As I was researching caffeine addiction, I came across some startling information about caffeine itself - primarily, how it works and what it can do to your body after a long time. (I promise this isn't going to turn into a preach session in which I try and convince all of you to give up coffee.)
I began to consider the nature of the few studies I read that supported and encouraged caffeine consumption. They all sounded like advertisements for pharmaceuticals. Yes, yes, there's a list of possible destructive side effects, but look at all the good things that can happen if you use it properly! Look at how happy this person is! In other words, they're basically commercials. Which leads me to the sneaking suspicion that studies "proving" the benefits of caffeine may very well be funded by coffee companies themselves.
In essence, every study needs to have funding. Further, it seems to me that every study performed these days has a specific goal the researchers are trying to achieve: "We're trying to prove that this happens..." "We're trying to disprove this guy's theory..." It makes sense that, say, Starbucks might shove a couple million dollars into a laboratory and say, "Make us look good."
I wouldn't put it past them. As for the researchers themselves, I imagine that, just like with any other profession, for every 100% honest one, there are three who are desperate, dishonest, or greedy enough to at least phrase things a certain way so that something sounds better than it should.
So what this rambling comes down to is: Do you ever feel like the "studies" touted by magazines and internet articles are trying to deceive you? Does it seem wrong to anyone else that something we should be able to rely on (scientific research) might be just as flawed and manipulative as commercial advertising? Do you think I'm just dead wrong and should stop thinking about stuff like this?
I'm interested to know what people think.
(PS: I just wanted to add that, having done both, I can say with some certainty that giving up coffee has been way, way harder than giving up cigarettes. I cannot explain this.)