Monday, October 09, 2006

Keeping Abreast Of Science

Once again, the media sets aside the fact that correlation does not necessarily equal causation when there's a catchy headline and lead to be had:

Women with breast implants and those who've had plastic surgeries have lower rates of cancer than the general population, but higher rates of suicide, a new Canadian study suggests.

Although the researchers offered no definitive explanation for the higher suicide rates, they suggest greater attention be paid to the psychiatric state of cosmetic surgery patients.

"Serious consideration should be given to providing consultation for patients who are considered by the plastic surgeon to be at high risk of psychiatric disorder or suicide," says an article on the study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.


On the other hand, people who go in for elective cosmetic surgery are usually pretty unhappy with what God gave them.

What would be interesting to find is a correlation between higher suicide rates and the number of tattoos and piercings, especially on women. I've always thought that people who mutilate themselves in such a fashion are simply displaying their own self-hatred to the world.

Because there is nothing even remotely attractive or aesthetically pleasing about riddling oneself with bits of metal and scrawls of ink.

Source: Ottawa Sun

1 comment:

Neo Conservative said...

Here's some science I can get behind, man... if I could just remember where I put my stash.