When tides turn

It is my experience from studying newspaper coverage of conflict situation that once the business/economics pages start writing about "the other side", that is when the tides turn. Might be that the marginalized part of the conflict get visibility through letters to the editor, through newspaper day-today reporting, but that is still not enough. It doesn't matter how much sensational news is writing about the stuff, but once the economics pages are in, we're talking business. Things get serious and we can talk about a real shift in the perception of what is considered legitimate and what not. Or at least we can see a serious debate getting started on the two different side, which means that the once marginalized now have a real voice to make an influence.

This is happening now in Sweden, at least partly. After having read Ann Fernholm's book "A Sweeter blood", I was convinced this book is serious stuff. Scientific evidence is killed with other scientific evidence. She is talking the language of the experts. I also saw an interview with her on telly, really convincing stuff. Sugar is bad, in so many ways that you can't even imagine, and she makes the case clear, as said, in expert language.

The problem? It was "only" a book (only those who are really interested tend to read it without widespread reviews) and the tv outlet was a marginal channel. Thus, the effects might also be  marginal.

But what happened? Just today I read a column in the Swedish weekly business magazine magazine "Veckans Affärer" where the book is brought forward by a columnist stating: 

"The fact is that the high bloodsugar levels have negative impacts also on healthy organisms. For example, tests have shown that sugar stimulate growth in the cancer cells, which could explain the increased amounts of cancer... A number of studies on diabetics shows clear results: diabetes can be fought with the right diet. Goodbye insulin shots." (Emanuel Sidea, my translation). 

Well well, if my observations of what happens when news focus shifts from being something trivial, everyday to being of economic importance, then my friends, we are in for the big one soon! Soon we can start taking the harms of sugar seriously, also outside the health fanatics personal blog pages!

But it still needs to make it out of the "opinion" pages into the real business news. I am still waiting for articles on how much society could save by doctors making good dietary recommendations. How much we could save in tax payers money if the children at day care were fed real food. How much less ADHD medication society would need, if the food we feed our children would be less triggering... These are the stories I am waiting to see. Not hearing on the radio like today that ADHD medication has doubled in the past 5 years, and that this has brought on problems with people faking ADHD because the med includes amfetamin-like substances. I just... doooh! What is happening in society?!?! Why are we drugging kids with amfetamin-like substances when they are already high on sugar? What about first have the kids detox from sugar and other triggering foods and then see how much of the problems are left...

We need more coverage of books like "A sweeter blood". This was a first step. More certainly ahead. Particularly when it is about saving taxpayers $$$!

Interesting indeed!

You can follow Ann's webpage here in Swedish: http://ettsotareblod.se/ and I wrote a blog about the book earlier here: Hell hour.