"Polymeal" - Alcohol, chocolate, garlic, and nuts preventing heart disease? - Summary

This "study" reduces the way certain conclusions are drawn "Ad Absurdum" - to absurdity. By showing how one can combine questionable data using questionable assumptions, they demonstrate that it is easy to obtain ridiculous results. This story (study) has been reported as a serious diet by many newspapers and web sites. However, one would expect a serious news agency such as Reuters to be a little more savvy...

The British should know that the world takes them seriously, and when they tell a joke, they need to end with "Just Kidding"

As of this date (Dec 18, 2004), at least two readers of the journal have published online comments appreciating the humor (or should we spell it "humour" ?).

In conclusion, rather than indulging in wine and chocolate on a daily basis, we suggest you exercise, reduce stress, and have a good laugh. It may be a little premature to "retrain redundant cardiologists as Polymeal chefs and wine advisors".

A more recent reference presents the result of a competition to design a polymeal. The bottom line - "...feed it to whichever guest is pronouncing an opinion with which you are not entirely in agreement"!

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Last Modification - June 19, 2005