One morning the newspaper headlines read that research discovered that eggs are the perfect food for perfect health. The next day they read that scientists have found that eating eggs for breakfast is like holding a loaded gun to your head.
It is so confusing that it makes you just want to eat a donut, doesn't it?
This scientific double talk isn't confined to breakfast foods. You may remember the debate about cancer and firefighting in 2009. After a review of the scientific literature, the National League of Cities issued a press release stating, "A study released today titled 'Assessing State Firefighter Cancer Presumption Laws And Current Firefighter Cancer Research,' found there is inadequate scientific research to determine a link between working as a firefighter and an elevated risk of contracting cancer."
After a review of the same literature, other groups of scientists with the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the International Association of Fire Fighters came to different conclusions.
The prevailing consensus among scientists is that firefighting significantly increases the risk of several types of cancers; however, even that statement comes with some qualifiers.