Partial reporting

According to this recent study, I'm right on track - although I drink on a fairly regular basis, it's usually not more than a couple of drinks in any given day.

But, I really have got to say it's an awful report. I don't know whether it was the researchers, or the reporter, but the "news" isn't very well researched. It left me with a lot of questions. Like whether or not they considered sociological or psychological factors.

The report indicates that moderate drinkers were 54% less likely to be obese than teetotalers. But heavy drinkers are 46% more likely to be obese than non-drinkers, with binge drinkers even more likely to be obese.

Ummm, I'm no scientist, but I hardly find it surprising that someone who engages in binge drinking might also be obese, particularly since overeating and binge behaviors are both strongly correlated with low self esteem and even depression. But there's no mention whatsoever in the report about potential social or psychological factors contributing to the trend. It's written as if the writer (again, I don't know if it's the reporter or the authors of the report) believed that our bodies are nothing but machines that respond to what we put into them and that's all. Like, "put in X amount of Y and you will get Z result" which ignores the "H" factor in human physiology.

And yes, I'm still reading that book about computers and cyborgs and human bodies, why do you ask?