Opinion piece on Today Show ADHD advice

[Amtram]

http://stonington.patch.com/articles...alk-about-adhd

I think the author makes some excellent points.

[Spacemaster]

Wow, this is just one example of how horribly misinformed the public really is.

It's also scary to think of how easily people are led to believe things that "experts" say in the media. People aren't likely to research this stuff when a well reputed news program brings on an "expert". They trust this stuff. They aren't going to research it further. People watch shows like Good Morning America in good faith, they trust it. What a shame.

It is no wonder that ADHD is so misunderstood!

I wonder how much I've been duped into believing? It doesn't sit well with me.

[NATIVE762]

All i can say is....." it's fun to laugh at dumb people who call themselve experts"

[Assumption]

Interesting. The pedantic part of me want to bicker about the characterization of correlation and causation Correlation does imply causation, but the mere existence of a correlation doesn't tell us whether A is causing B, B is causing A, or C is causing both A and B. The explanation for the correlation will ultimately be causal, but what dont know exactly what form it will take.

In the article, the alternative explanation that is being pushed is that ADHD causes sleep deprivation. It's still a causal explanation - it's just that the direction is reversed.

[sarahsweets]

I refuse to believe much of what the media reports about adhd.

[kilted_scotsman]

This is what happens when educated people don't realise they didn't get a good education in logic and statistics.

Media people are particularly prone to this.... and science pundits who get well paid for appearing on the media often go along with it.

It's infotainment... not information.... over here our printed media is notorious for this kind of thing.... our broadcast media are not as bad. Unfortunately if an "expert" uses the language appropriate for the subject it doesn't make good copy.... too hedged around with big words and vagueness. What they probably meant was something like... "lack of sleep can cause symptoms similar to mild ADHD.....". Saying vague stuff like that doesn't get you back on the couch to plug your new book!

It's only when one sees media articles on something one knows about one realises just how dire journalists are at distilling and presenting facts.

Like sarahsweets I'm pretty cynical about stuff I see in the media.... until I've fact checked and cross referenced a sample myself.

You can't really blame the media.... they are incredibly pressured by the culture, researchers get paid peanuts and asked to do the impossible....

kilted

[salleh]

ARRGGHHHHH ......a BIG NOOOOOOOOOOO to the today show and well said to the author of that blog .....she nails it right on the head .....

it's one thing to say that sleep depravation cause ADHD-like symptoms ....and entirely another to say sleep depravation CAUSES AHDH ......


Sleep depravation is a simple lifestyle adjustment .....

ADHD is a pysical brain disorder .....


it's not that hard ........


the simple fact is that a fast going over of ideas and statements like that cause huge amounts of harm to lots of subjects.....in an effort to make us aware of problems ....those kind of show are making them worse....miseducation is far worse than NO education ......

[DvlsAdv0c8]

Originally Posted by Spacemaster

I wonder how much I've been duped into believing? It doesn't sit well with me.

I wonder this every time I read or watch any kind of "news" any more. It's even scarier to think that some of these "experts" have been caught FAKING research results which are then cited in the media.

[Drewbacca]

Originally Posted by salleh

it's not that hard ........

So, maybe some of us have Chronic Sleep Deprivation Disorder (CSDD).

[Drewbacca]

I wanted to post something here, but didn't because of its borderline political nature. I started a new thread in Debates for discussion of polls and and statistics.

[MX2012]

I believe that the misstatement represents the trend towards dismissing disabilities in general. Good thing the author pursued the truth.

[silivrentoliel]

hah... must be my problem. constantly tired means if i only got enough sleep my symptoms would go away... but wait! my brain won't shut up, so i can't sleep... but i need to sleep so my symptoms will go away... but, arg! shut UP brain!!!....

it's an infinite loop.

[drdistracto]

It seems everyone's an expert these days. Anyone who tries to sell correlation as causation is a charlatan.

It reminds me of all the "experts" on weight loss. You'll find them on the Today Show and everywhere else on TV. If they knew what they were talking about, we americans would not be so overweight. Their assertion is that overweight is caused by eating too much and exercising too little. What they've done is taken a correlation and made it a causation. It sounds good, but I will tell you from personal experience, it is completely untrue (and there are more and more studies backing this up). The real cause of both the weight gain and lack of exercise is the quality of the food people are eating. If you fix that, you will lose weight, and you won't be tired all the time, so you'll feel like getting off the couch and doing something. The junk food (it shouldn't even be called food -- I prefer Michael Pollan's term 'edible food-like substance') is making you tired all the time, and makes you hungry. The solution that actually works is one you won't hear from the "experts": eat real food and drink (plain) water.

[Lisa_Mac]

This is why the specialists who really know what they're talking about, like Russell Barkley, need to come up with a new and more accurate name for our disorder.

Lx

[Assumption]

Originally Posted by drdistracto

It seems everyone's an expert these days. Anyone who tries to sell correlation as causation is a charlatan.

Correlational research is pretty indispensible in science. You can statistically adjust for variables in order to rule out alternative causal explanations (technically this isn't a plain correlation anymore, it's a beta coefficient, but this is what is typically used in correlational research). Experiments are good too, but they have their own drawbacks (e.g. poor ecological validity).

Also, the studies you alluded to (that back up the idea that eating less/exercising more doesn't help you lose weight) - were they not correlational themselves?