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Posted by Al Gordon on 08:10:34 2004/07/29
In Reply to: UK looking at dietary solutions to type 2 diabetes (wasted $$) posted by Ellen
Imagine a long-term study in which a control group will be told "Just watch TV, get no exercise, and live off junk food." This is not only a waste of time and money, but it is considered unethical in clinical trials to deny an intervention to a control group when there is evidence that the intervention is beneficial.
Now imagine in a few years the statisticians analyzing the data discover that, golly gee, the lazy slobs did no worse than the healthy exercise freaks! Will the UK government then say, "Okay everyone, turn in those running shoes and get a Barcalounger and remote control!"
So we know that only one result will be accepted, putting this idiotic exercise outside the realm of science.
Once again, we see a researcher employment program tarted up as public health research. Any researcher who participates in such a travesty should be ashamed.
Al
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