Here's another badly reported correlational study. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/mar/03/asthma-television-tv-children
In the third paragraph, they 'fess up that "The greater risk of asthma was not directly caused by watching television, which was used only as an indicator of how sedentary the children's lifestyles were." But that is only after, in the first paragraph, having claimed that "Children who spend hours in front of the television are at greater risk of developing asthma than those who are more active, a study has found." I wonder how many parents wouldn't be inclined to send their kids out to play after reading that. (I wonder if there are stats on how far the average reader reads into the average news article.) In any case, I have a bet to make. I bet that the correlation is largely the result of a causal connection that runs exactly the other way from that implied by the article: kids with asthma are less inclined to engage in high-energy activities and so, among other "quiet" activities, watch more TV. Pre-emptive Disclaimer: I am NOT saying that sedentary lifestyles are just as healthy as active ones. That would be foolish (a state that I try mightily to avoid, though admittedly not with total success). I am saying only that given the choice between "TV watching causes asthma" and "Asthma causes more TV watching," I vote for the latter. Chris -- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada 416-736-2100 ex. 66164 [email protected] http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ ========================== --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
