Better Off Not Knowing

A while back, former FDA Commissioner David Kessler published an article in the New England Journal depicting what cereal boxes would look like if they provided people with useful health information. Here is a sample: What do you think?

Want to buy health insurance for your family? Last year, that would have cost you almost $18,000. In 1999, the cost would have been closer to $6,000. Here’s a table showing the steady rise in prices: Surprised at the $18,000 number? That’s because much of that cost is being picked up by your employer. You…

Quick quiz question: two people are diagnosed with melanoma – Sarah Sunburn, an adamant sun-worshipper, and Paula Pale-All-The-Time, a fanatical sun-avoider. Who is more likely to die of the disease? The answer is pale-faced Paula. Surprised? Let me unpack this mystery and explain why sun exposure simultaneously kills people, while making the cancers they are…