Nadine Richters

Sommersemester 2008

Institut für Anglistik und Amerikanistik

Universität Hamburg

Course.: Written Expression A+B

Day/Time: Friday 10-14

Due Date: 20 th of June 2008

Title of task: Essay on: "Experts should stop warning people about what is good or bad for

their health, and let them do as they please. Do you agree?" (550 words)

Experts should stop warning people about what is good or bad for their health, and let

them do as they please. Do you agree?

Within the last few decades, the media have increasingly reported on health threats and

ways of dealing with them. On the one hand this information on medical prophylaxis might be

useful, in particular if the positive medical effects of these measures are investigated and

verified, but on the other hand there are unfortunately many canards, for instance, the mobile

phone issue and then some aspects affecting dental care.

Firstly, the authors of many media reports mostly exaggerate. For example, since the

advent of mobile phones, concerns have been raised about the potential health impacts from

frequent use. The Scandinavian health authorities have carried out continuous long-term

studies of the effects of mobile phone radiation on human beings, especially children.

Numerous studies have failed to substantiate that suspicion. Recently, one could read in the

media that mobile phones can cause cancer in children.

Furthermore, doing sports, eating healthy foods or taking dietary supplements, are

recommended by medical scientists. However, they have not proved yet whether these

methods are really effective and life prolonging. There are human beings who are slim, who

work out and who maintain a healthy diet, and are taken ill nevertheless. Doing sports is

considered good for bones and muscles. In that case, I wonder why there are a huge number

of people who suffer from physical afflictions such as bursitis, arthrosis and further joint

inflammations which can all be easily caused by doing sports? Moreover, the same arguments

apply to tooth decay as well. There is no known method to regenerate large amounts of tooth