A society of anecdotal evidence

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Nopedotjpeg
Nopedotjpeg Posts: 1,806 Member
in Chit-Chat
This stems from frustration from weight loss/fitness arguments, but it seems like our whole society is based on hearsay and anecdotal evidence. Nobody wants to hear what scientific data found because "Sheila said that eating lemon wedges at 3 hour intervals helped her fit into her skinny jeans!" I studied psychology for enough years that I should know why this is, but I just don't get it. I look at everything through an experimental lens I guess. *sigh* /endrant

Replies

  • JennieAL
    JennieAL Posts: 1,726 Member
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    "Sheila said that eating lemon wedges at 3 hour intervals helped her fit into her skinny jeans!"

    This made me laugh :)
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    It's true. People also want to feel that there are secret keys to this when there are none. They want to think that if they eat certain magical foods at a certain magical time, it will allow them to make progress. Not so.
  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    frustrates me too
  • david581c
    david581c Posts: 337
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    Lemme get my pocket thesaurus out.....

    ...hmmm

    ...mmmhmmmm
    Mm....ohhhhhhhhh i get it.

    As convienient as information is these days, i see ur point, it is magnified when its easier to access what was once difficult to get.

    I guess u cant blame people for their inherent indigenous inclinations, word of mouth is how its been done for all of time.
  • Tkwild
    Tkwild Posts: 116 Member
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    Do you mean that my half a cucumber (sans seeds) under the light of a full moon isn't going to help my weight loss???
  • Tkwild
    Tkwild Posts: 116 Member
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    Lemme get my pocket thesaurus out.....
    ...hmmm
    ...mmmhmmmm
    Mm....ohhhhhhhhh i get it.
    LOL at the above being followed by this:
    inherent indigenous inclinations

    Mixed messages or just sarcasm? ;)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,669 Member
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    Yeah, the "fitness" infomercials at night aren't helping either.

    "Learn how to carve out those abs with this superb ab workout!" (eyeroll) Like diet really didn't have anything to do with it. Bet if they stated that people would have to eat 500 to 1000 calories less a day, people out there would change the channel.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • FadedFreckles
    FadedFreckles Posts: 81 Member
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    When it comes to other peoples views on nutrition and their weightloss i hold by this;

    "The plural of anecdote is not data"
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    Memes don't work. Tell everyone you know.
  • CrawlingChaos
    CrawlingChaos Posts: 87
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    Sadly it is not just health and nutrition that suffers from pseudoscience and bad anecdotal evidence being so prevalent. Critical thinking is a very weak area for a lot of people.
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,720 Member
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    SERIOUSLY! I am so sick of "It worked for one person, so it works!" Wrong!

    If you can't back it up with some real evidence you're just talking. Also evidence equals something from a peer reviewed scientific journal. NOT a Youtube video.

    And the people who say "Oh science makes up stuff all the time." or the like. Idiots using the internet pretending that science is just made up guesses equal to the garbage they heard from the person they share a cubicle with.

    There is so much bad information out there and so many people on this site just keep spreading it around.

    Be careful who you listen to. Choose good sources.
  • JennieAL
    JennieAL Posts: 1,726 Member
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    Sadly it is not just health and nutrition that suffers from pseudoscience and bad anecdotal evidence being so prevalent. Critical thinking is a very weak area for a lot of people.

    Yes! And the reluctance to take on personal responsibility. I'll never forget a co-worker telling me "But I'd rather just let the doctor tell me..." or "isn't there a pill for that?" after I told her some benefits of eating garlic and other whole foods.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    I think you'd all enjoy Bad Science, one man's battle against dodgy science reporting by the media:
    http://www.badscience.net/

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