Myths About Chocolate
Researcher John Bohannon published an article in the scientific journal International Archives of Medicine, claiming that eating chocolate while on a diet could actually help with weight loss.
Naturally, this news sparked excitement among many people trying to lose weight or adding cacao nibs (a so-called superfood) to their diet.
But there was a twist:
John’s conclusion was based on a study supposedly conducted by the “German Institute of Diet and Health.”
In reality, this “institute” was nothing more than a website — there was no real organization behind it.
The author’s true intention was to expose how easily scientific-sounding information can spread, and how uncritical many science journalists can be.
According to him, this lack of scrutiny was clearly proven — because virtually everyone believed the story.
A warning about “scientific” claims
A journalist from The Washington Post recently published an article to raise awareness about this issue.
In his view, terms like “scientific” are used far too casually — and people too often accept information as true just because a study is mentioned.
Many people will believe something simply because they read it in an article, on a blog, or somewhere online — and it turns out that even some researchers fall for this too.
This is particularly dangerous when it comes to diet and lifestyle stories.
These topics are highly influenced by trends and fads, and are often filled with misinformation that people take seriously.
Readers searching desperately for tips and tricks may lose sight of credibility and fail to critically evaluate the message.
Our advice? Stay critical!
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Always question the message.
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If in doubt, consult multiple sources.
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And don’t automatically believe everything you read online.