I wrote this blog about four years ago:
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Fat friends
Another product from the Framingham study! It's difficult not to be wowed by the video attached to web version of this piece - but we need to check the underlying science is sound. The basic message is that obesity is not just about you, it's about your friends and neighbours. Another reminder of why do public health - man is a social being and influenced by social processes.
Social processes are difficult to measure, which means the statistics can be incomprehensible: and incomprehensible means potentially seriously misleading.
[...]
In this case, we have to take comfort in the fact that the analysis is published in the NEJM. It's the world's leading biomedical journal so I guess they can call on some seriously competent referees.
It turns out that my note of caution about the statistics was well founded and my trust in the NEJM less so: see this critique of the paper.
Bottom line - beware complex statistics, always look at the raw data. And look out for critiques. (Incidentally I'm still waiting to see any kind of critique or response to that odd paper on salt intake I blogged a few weeks ago.)
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