Overdosed America The Broken Promise of American Medicine Essay

Overdosed America The Broken Promise of American Medicine - Essay Example To keep the lid sealed on this corruption of medical science-and to ensure its translation into medical practice-there is a complex web of corporate influence that includes disempowered regulatory agencies, commercially sponsored medical education, brilliant advertising, expensive public relations campaigns, and manipulations of free media coverage. And last, but not least, are the financial ties between many of the most trusted medical experts and medical industry". I choose this quote because it encapsulates the scope of this book. Overdosed America, by John Abramson, M.D. is a thought-provoking and riveting assessment of health care and the corruption thereof in America. Pointing to evidence which is concrete and shocking, we are forced to wonder what else is out there that we do not know about. We wonder how mistaken we are to put so much trust into the hands of doctors and the medicines that they peddle. He does not write the book in an attempt to sell a blockbuster best seller. Rather, he wants integrity to return to the field of medicine in a country that can well afford it. This book makes me wonder who is leading who. I had no idea that the majority (80 percent) of clinical research is funded by pharmaceutical companies. How does that amount to honest statistics There is an enormous conflict between the pharmaceutical companies and their influence over the studies that are conducted. Moreover, a tremendous amount of the studies which are reported in medical journals are not complete so not only are we as consumers being duped but so are the people that we rely upon to save our lives! For example, Dr. Abramson detected the frequent use of overblown statistics guaranteed to scare people into a life-long drug regimen. When the New England Journal of Medicine published a study about a new, inexpensive blood test designed to measure blood levels of inflammation in the body called C-reactive protein, or CRP, which supposedly can predict a person's risk of heart disease. The study followed 28,000 women over eight years and found that those with the highest CRP levels were more than twice as likely to develop heart disease. The study's authors concluded that identifying people with elevated CRP would allow "optimal targeting of statin therapy." Simply stated, it was a way to identify future customers for cholesterol-lowering drugs. A closer look at the statistics from this study showed that the 28,000 female participants were less than 55 years old and healthy. Their risk of heart attack, stroke, etc. was quite small. For "every 1000 women with the highest CRP levels, there was only slightly more than one (1.3) additional episode of cardiovascular disease each year than among the 1000 women with the lowest CRP levels." In other words, the twice-as-likely-to-develop-heart-disease statistic boiled down to a doubling of odds that were tiny to begin with! "The public needs access to independent expert opinion that can counterbalance the enormous influence that the medical industry wields over our beliefs about the best approach to health and medical care," writes Dr. Abramson. Indeed, Dr. Abramson clearly suggests that a regimen that has been promoted forever is still the best means by which to keep heart disease. Dr. Abramson promotes that regular exercise, smoking cessation, and a healthy diet accomplish more than just about every medical

Film critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Film critique - Essay Example It also highlights the decisions and activities that characterized the Bush administration after the September 11 incident. According to Michael Moore, the Bush administration used the tragic September 11 incident as an excuse to engage in unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (Moore, 2004). The plot of the documentary revolves around the September 11 incident. This is a critical account in the history of the United States. Michael Moore pursues a very critical topic and issue in this film, expressing social, economic and political concerns that surrounded United States after the terrorist attack. This means that Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) is centrally located in the heart of American people, thereby being likely to capture massive audience. Michael Moore successfully establishes a strong audience base by pursuing an issue that many just took as terrorist attack. To Moore, the aftermath of the attack took a new perspective that laid ground for unjust practices by Bush and his administratio n. Michael Moore’s analysis of what happened after the September 11 incident leaves so much to be desired. For this reason, the setting of the film is critically positioned. The film was produced three years after the attacks, a time when wounds were still fresh in the minds of many and the political debate of the incident was still exacerbating. This timing on this film is perfect, given that all aspects of the American life had been affected by the incident. The highlighted interviews, and the collected views and opinions of the American people show that different people had different understanding of the events that followed the attacks. In this regard, Michael Moore gets those who argue alongside his claims, as well those who dispute the claims outlined in the film. This film is, therefore, two-sided, meaning that it encompasses both propositions and oppositions to the issues raised. In other words, the tragic events that befell United States in September 11 are clearly o utlined before Moore expresses his view on the matter. After these events are highlighted, a critical evaluation of the matter is done. In so doing, the American society has wholly associated itself with part of the film in one way or another, whether they agree or disagree with Moore’s views. While Moore has successfully tried to account for what happened after the September 11 terrorist attacks, some of his views are exaggerated. While his allegations against the Bush administration are true, some of them are way too much personal. The fact that United States is the world’s superpower gives it a significant reason to engage in war at it deems necessary. Moore disputes the Bush administration’s reason to engage Afghanistan and Iraq in war, terming the action unjust (Moore, 2004). However, Osama and his terrorist group Al Qaeda admitted to carrying out the attacks. This was not the first time that Osama and his team had engaged in terrorism. Other states around the world had also experienced terrorist attacks before United States did. Even if United States could not have engaged wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on her behalf, it was right to do so, on behalf of the weaker world communities that had previously been targeted by terrorist groups. Michael Moore wrote the script to the film, and subsequently directed it. He, therefore, delivers a quality film in