Behind the Headlines

Are the middle classes in denial about alcohol use?

Thursday May 9 2013

"Middle class professionals… are the country’s biggest problem drinkers," is the stark and somewhat misleading claim in The Daily Telegraph, with similar claims appearing across the UK media. The story is based on a study looking at 49 ‘white collar’…

Hungry shoppers may choose unhealthier foods

Tuesday May 7 2013

"Hungry shoppers 'buy more calories'," BBC News reports in a story based on a very small short-term and somewhat artificial study. The study examined the effects of people skipping meals due to everything from busy lifestyles to…

Negative parenting linked with kids being bullied

Friday Apr 26 2013

“Children who have overprotective parents are more likely to be bullied by their peers,” BBC News explains. The news correctly presents the findings of a major study on the effects of parenting on a child’s risk of being bullied, but it focuses…

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Can belief in God help with depression?

Friday Apr 26 2013

"Believing in God can help treat depression," the Mail Online website claims. But how much faith can we put in this story?...

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Celebrity chefs can’t be blamed for obesity rates

Wednesday Apr 24 2013

"TV chefs 'adding to obesity crisis by encouraging us to eat fatty dishes'," reports the Metro, with similar stories blaming celebrity chefs for our bulging waistlines in much of the media…

Even 'light' smoking may raise women's arthritis risk

Tuesday Apr 23 2013

"Smoking just a few cigarettes a day more than doubles a woman's risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis," the Mail Online website reveals. The website reports on a Swedish study that found women who smoke…

No proof found that depression is 'contagious'

Monday Apr 22 2013

'Can you catch depression?', the Mail Online website asks on the strength of new US research into the concept of 'cognitive vulnerability'. Cognitive vulnerability is where unhelpful patterns of thinking can increase the risk of a person developing…

No evidence that kilts improve sperm quality

Friday Apr 19 2013

"Men who wear kilts are more fertile – because their sperm are cooler," is the claim on the Mail Online website. This claim is based on an unusual study that seems to be an exploration of the joys of kilt wearing rather than a serious scientific...

No evidence that price of fame is early death

Thursday Apr 18 2013

"Having a glittering career … may come at the cost of a shorter life," BBC News explains, reporting on a study that analysed 1,000 obituaries in The New York Times and found that on average, performers and sports stars died younger…

Is exercise to blame for Andrew Marr's stroke?

Monday Apr 15 2013

TV presenter and journalist Andrew Marr has given his first interview since experiencing a stroke. In the interview he blamed vigorous exercise for triggering it. But experts advise that exercise, if done in the right way, can reduce your stroke risk…

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