The alternative fringe has embraced a trendy catchphrase: "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." It's cute, it sounds impressively philosophical, and, technically, it actually is true. But it can be deceptive, misinterpreted, and misused.

An item by Denise Mann on WebMD.com, updated on May 10, 2005, quotes ACSH's Dr. Ruth Kava:
Ruth Kava, PhD, RD, director of nutrition at the American Council on Science and Health, has this to say: "The bottom line is not to restrict them, but to help them grow into their weight because children need extra calories to grow. Don't put kids on a strict diet because they are probably going to resent it."

A prominently placed advertisement by the Lung Cancer Alliance in yesterday's New York Times conveys the important message that lung cancer, which kills more people than many other forms of cancer combined, is worthy of more attention and research than it currently receives. Unfortunately, however, the well-intentioned advertisement is also misleading and has disturbing implications.

The sci-fi parody The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is in theatres all over the planet -- and it has some valuable lessons about earthly bureaucracy, including one pivotal subplot that resonates with the critique of anti-chemical regulations made in the ACSH book America's War on "Carcinogens".

The Onion features a very on-target parody of how networks choose scientists and health experts to appear on television. Instead of an astute, balanced, and informed -- but dry -- professor, the network chooses a glib former football player who has written a book about "America's Coming Nuclear-Power Holocaust."
This too-close-to-home parody leaves us pondering some facts:
First, television is intrinsically a form of entertainment, not the best platform for education.

A May 4, 2005 column by dietician Cinda Williams Chima in the Cleveland Plain Dealer notes ACSH among voices cautioning that "functional foods" are overhyped:

Fear of harm is the most common reason given by parents who choose not to have their children vaccinated against preventable diseases, according to an article in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Recently, I posted a piece on the discovery of the potential for a serious allergenic response from a foodstuff that was being promoted as a non-genetically-modified (non-GM) alternative to GM soybeans. There was almost total media silence on this matter even though the research itself was published in a leading peer-reviewed medical journal. ACSH Nutrition Director Dr.

Mark McGuire will probably be remembered as much for his use of the "dietary supplement" androstenedione (Andro) as he will for the seventy home runs he hit in 1998. While you can debate whether one had anything to do with the other, in my opinion one thing is clear: the use of the term "dietary supplement" to describe the anabolic steroid he took should be criminal, just like selling Andro itself is now. Dietary supplement. Talk about a euphemism. This would almost be funny if these drugs weren't so dangerous.

Whether you are traveling around the world or relaxing at home, a safe, healthy vacation will add to your enjoyment. Here are some health and safety tips to keep in mind when planning your summer vacation.
The Dark Side of Summer Sun