Smoking vs. French Fries in the Latest Episode of Social Media BS
It keeps getting more ridiculous
Social media influencers keep one-upping themselves.
In the latest episode of spreading health misinformation, Dave Asprey suggested that eating french fries is worse for you than smoking a cigarette. What mental gymnastics did he employ to draw this absurd conclusion?
He claimed that french fries cause a longer inflammatory spike than cigarettes. He also called nicotine a smart drug, which apparently negates its harmful effects.
There are many issues with this claim and it continues a trend of poorly extrapolating research. Asprey didn't cite a single source to defend his claims. There are no studies comparing french fries with cigarettes.
Second, instead of looking at all of the effects of cigarettes and french fries, such as mortality and cancer risks, he focused strictly on acute inflammation. He also conveniently ignored the health benefits of french fries, such as the vitamins they possess.
It doesn’t matter that he said smoking is still bad. Stating french fries are worse because of acute inflammation sends a potentially harmful message. It causes people to have a narrow view of nutrition. It also supports the narrative that inflammation is always…
