Panic Nation
Encyclopedia
Panic Nation is a nonfiction book by Stanley Feldman and Vincent Marks. It was published by John Blake in 2006 . The tagline
and theme of the book is "Exposing the myths we're told about food and health".
and health
that are common in the world today, in line with the introduction to the book that quotes Frederick II
of Germany
who wrote in the thirteenth century: 'One ought not to believe anything, save that which can be proven by nature and the force of reason.'
The contributors are: Stanley Feldman, Vincent Marks, Michael Fizpatrick, Maurice Hanssen, John Henry
, Mick Hume
, Lakshman Karalliedde, Malcolm Kendrick
, Peter Lachmann
, James le Fanu
, Sandy Macnair, Sam Shuster and Dick Taverne QC.
, William Sidelsky says "The basic problem, according to the authors, is that our society is in thrall to the 'precautionary principle'. Ours is a worse-case-scenario mentality whereby any small or medium-sized risk is converted into a portent of near-certain catastrophe." He goes on to add "It is hard not to concede that they have a point. The tone of the book may be trenchant, but the arguments are sensible and even-handed."
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
and theme of the book is "Exposing the myths we're told about food and health".
Overview
This book focuses on debunking many popular misconceptions about foodFood
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
and health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
that are common in the world today, in line with the introduction to the book that quotes Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
who wrote in the thirteenth century: 'One ought not to believe anything, save that which can be proven by nature and the force of reason.'
Synopsis
The book comprises a series of essays written by specialists and experts in related fields. These experts address the state of knowledge in the specific fields and how this conflicts with common knowledge.The contributors are: Stanley Feldman, Vincent Marks, Michael Fizpatrick, Maurice Hanssen, John Henry
John Henry (toxicologist)
Professor John Anthony Henry was a professor specialising in toxicology in the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington...
, Mick Hume
Mick Hume
Mick Hume is a British journalist and former organiser of the defunct Revolutionary Communist Party. He was raised in Woking and educated at Manchester University where he read American Studies...
, Lakshman Karalliedde, Malcolm Kendrick
Malcolm Kendrick
Malcolm Kendrick is a Scottish doctor and author of The Great Cholesterol Con . He has been a general practitioner for over 25 years and has worked with the European Society of Cardiology....
, Peter Lachmann
Peter Lachmann
Professor Sir Peter Julius Lachmann, ScD, FRS, FMedSci is a British immunologist, specifically a complementologist. He is emeritus Sheila Joan Smith Professor of Immunology at Cambridge University, a fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge and honorary fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge and of...
, James le Fanu
James Le Fanu
James Le Fanu is a British physician, medical journalist and author of several books. He is best known for his weekly columns in the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph.-Life:...
, Sandy Macnair, Sam Shuster and Dick Taverne QC.
Reception
Michael Gard, in a paper in the book Biopolitics and the 'obesity epidemic': governing bodies, commented that the "consistent line of the 30 chapters is that pressure groups and bad scientists have managed to grossly exaggerate the health risks of things like salt, sugar, cholesterol, fast food and passive smoking". Writing in the New StatesmanNew Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
, William Sidelsky says "The basic problem, according to the authors, is that our society is in thrall to the 'precautionary principle'. Ours is a worse-case-scenario mentality whereby any small or medium-sized risk is converted into a portent of near-certain catastrophe." He goes on to add "It is hard not to concede that they have a point. The tone of the book may be trenchant, but the arguments are sensible and even-handed."
See also
- Junk foodJunk foodJunk food is an informal term applied to some foods that are perceived to have little or no nutritional value ; to products with nutritional value, but which also have ingredients considered unhealthy when regularly eaten; or to those considered unhealthy to consume at all...
- Fast foodFast foodFast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
- Criticism of fast foodCriticism of fast foodFast food has come under criticism over concerns ranging from claimed negative health effects, alleged animal cruelty, cases of worker exploitation, and claims of cultural degradation via shifts in people's eating patterns away from traditional foods....
- Diet and obesityDiet and obesityDiet plays an important role in the genesis of obesity. Personal choices, advertising, social customs and cultural influences, as well as food availability and pricing all play a role in determining what and how much an individual eats.-Dietary energy supply:...
- Precautionary principlePrecautionary principleThe precautionary principle or precautionary approach states that if an action or policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, in the absence of scientific consensus that the action or policy is harmful, the burden of proof that it is not harmful falls on those...