A Different War on Drugs to Fight
How about a ruthless effort to stamp out calls for mass drugging by self-styled health experts?
A study by a group led by one Dr. Darrell Francis of Britain’s National Heart and Lung Institute recently made headlines with its recommendation that fast-food joints hand out cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins to any patron who wants them, free of charge. Popping a statin with one’s Whopper and shake, the study’s authors claim, would help to neutralize their heart-unhealthy effects. Apparently, this is not meant to be a joke.
The call to fortify fast-food meals with statins—a class of medications that includes Crestor, Advicor, Lipotor, Zocor, and other brands—is merely the latest absurd proposal to inappropriately medicate wide sections of the population with these drugs. In 2004, a physician called Dr. John Reckless lived up to his name by suggesting that the water supply should be spiked with statins. When questioned by the BBC about the risks this might pose to children, he allowed, “You might well have statin-free baby water so that babies and others not at risk don’t take their statin.” Is he being too conservative? Perhaps the American Academy of Pediatrics thinks so—they have issued guidelines recommending the use of statins in children as young as 8 and blood-cholesterol testing for 2-year-olds.
The leaflet proposed for distribution with MacStatin ("I'm neutralizin' it!") has to be seen to be believed.
- Comment (4)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (1)
Comments :
May '10
Re: A Different War on Drugs to Fight
Fat and cholesterol doesn't keep me away from fast food. Drug-laced burgers might.
I wonder how the Big Macstatin will compete with Pfizer King.
Aug '10
Re: A Different War on Drugs to Fight
Oh, wonderful...
Whatever good statins may do those with elevated serum cholesterol, statins have side effects, like most drugs, some of which are quite unpleasant (muscle pain or wasting, liver enzyme derangement, reported cognitive problems -- nice, eh?) and for those of us with low cholesterol, what good could they possibly do? Only harm, it seems to me.
Plus, the body needs some cholesterol for cell membranes and as a precursor to other useful stuff, like vitamins and hormones. (The cells lining neruons are particularly rich in cholesterol.)
If a doctor tells his patient, "Look, if you're going to eat fast food, pop a statin with it," fine. That's up to the doctor and patient. But for the rest of us?...
There's so much about cholesterol we don't understand, and so much about statins, too.
They're really that certain that the benefits outweigh the costs for practically everybody? I don't believe it.
If this policy were implemented, it's only a matter of time before someone sues a fast-food restaurant over statin damage.
Edited on Aug 20, 2010 at 1:46pmAug '10
Re: A Different War on Drugs to Fight
Another thing I don't get:
Statins are prescription drugs. You can't just buy them over-the-counter. You need a doctor's supervision.
So is MacDonald's, the same company that's supposedly wrecking our health with its horrible food, now qualified to act as our doctor?
May '10
Re: A Different War on Drugs to Fight
Since nobody else has mentioned the parallels to fluoridation of water, I must voice a concern for my precious bodily fluids.
Hey, maybe that's the plan: scare people away from eating at McDonald's because they don't want drugs mixed in with their guilty-pleasure fast food? Whinging about the obvious - that greasy red meat is unhealthy - doesn't seem to have had the effect our nannies desire.