Ice cream causes drownings!

Most 9th grade science classes teach that correlation does not mean causation. A lot of us tend to forget that sometimes. And even researchers with good intentions forget this and end up getting some egg on their face. The latest is this widely publicized research study that says red meat causes an increase in cardio vascular disease (CVD), cancer and mortality. I heard it on the radio driving in this morning too. What the media presents to the lay person is that the more red meat you eat, the higher your risk of death by CVD and cancer. Therefore to avoid CVD and cancer, cut out red meat.

What they don't mention is that the people in the study who had a higher death rate of CVD and cancer, where the same men and women that were "less likely to be physically active and were more likely to be current smokers, to drink alcohol, and to have a higher body mass index. In addition, a higher red meat intake was associated with a higher intake of total energy but lower intakes of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables."

So the obese, sedentary, smokers who don't eat enough fruits and veggies, end up dying of CVD and cancer, and because they also ate more red meat than the skinny, active, non-smokers, the red meat is what killed them.... really?! There's another classic example of this: ice cream causes drownings. Since people eat more ice cream in the summer, and drownings occur more during ice cream eating season, it must mean ice cream causes drownings. Right? Or maybe there was another factor involved, like people go to the pool/beach/lake more in the summer, spend more time in the water, and the likelihood of drowning increases. Ice cream has nothing to do with it. But ice cream consumption goes up, and drownings go up, and there is a correlation. But not causation. I'll continue eating my red meat, and veggies, and fruit and continue not smoking. Thanks.