Saturday 16 May 2015

The Irony of Sound Bite Media.

Here we go with the numbers game again. News item:

A study has shown that older people who do at least three hours exercise a week live on average five years longer than those who are sedentary.

This is another example of confusing the causal and the coincidental. It seems likely that older people who exercise are probably a little more health conscious and live generally healthier lifestyles, and it’s the lifestyle that promotes longevity, not the exercise alone.

I expect the study did take that into account, but the media does so like to reduce things that are even slightly complex down to falsehoods that are more easily understood.

No comments: