The bigger story is the finding that junk-food-fed fat mice live longer when given a natural substance also found in red wine. That a 150-pound person would have to drink up to 1,500 bottles of wine a day to get a benefit is irrelevant for the moment. The real importance of work like this lies in the science fiction of living lives in which people had “all the pleasures of gluttony but paid none of the price.”
Today’s other topic concerns a group of women suing the makers of a popular birth-control patch over unplanned side effects, including death. The other worry for most women is the belief there is a relationship between the pill and weight gain.
Out of the 125 “comments” to an article by the news service I work for that suggests no relationship came this poignant reminder about the pitfalls of a health system in which you must take all the responsibility but are given very little information: “Wow. So many stories, so many choices. I’m left more confused with everyone’s responses that I’d rather consult with my doctor.”
Choices. Personal ones. In consultation with a medical professional. That’s the goal. Until we reach it, we might as well reach for a glass of wine.