The reporter with the name everybody wants -- Jennifer 8. Lee -- reports on a decline in tuna consumption after a federal warning about high mercury levels in white albacore tuna. Typically, overblown media coverage and a headline-scrolling TV culture rips the subtleties right out of context, and makes people fear all types of tuna, or even all types of fish:
Never mind that the federal advisory is just for young children and women who plan to have children. Never mind that the advisory covers only white albacore tuna, and not light tuna, which has a lower mercury content - and is cheaper. Never mind that the advisory actually recommends limiting consumption of albacore tuna to six ounces per week - that is one or two meals - as opposed to eliminating it entirely. And never mind that the federal government says tuna is actually very good for people - an affordable, low-fat, high-protein source of the omega-3 fatty acids that reduce heart disease. ...Posted by Chris at April 10, 2004 10:30 AM"The message of fish being good has been lost," said Eric Rimm, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, "and people are learning more about the hypothetical scare of a contaminant than they are of the well-documented benefits of coronary disease reduction."
Fishing for tuna, like, kills dolphins, man. I don't, like buy that "dolphin safe" jive.
Its always easy to get ratings and sell papers with either (1) sex, (2) fad diets, or (3) food scares.
Posted by: the talking dog at April 11, 2004 10:38 AM