Staying healthy in an era of health fallacies and fake news

Misleading claims about health issues can cause real harm, especially when they spread rapidly over social media.

- Teo Yik Ying

In a recent speech, Robert F. Kennedy Jr claimed that fluoridation in water causes numerous health problems, from lowering IQ to increasing the risk of cancer.

Such claims have been debunked before, but the remarks by Mr Kennedy - nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next US health and human services secretary - provided fresh ammunition to the camp that lobbies against fluoride.

Shortly after Mr Kennedy's remarks, several traditional and social media platforms reported on a study published in Jama Pediatrics - one of America's leading medical journals - with headlines suggesting a link between fluoride exposure and childhood IQ loss.

The study's flawed methodology and inconclusive findings had come in for widespread criticism by experts. Nevertheless, the damage was done as misinformation spread.

Social media platforms amplified the misleading headlines, while anti-fluoride activists, emboldened by Mr Kennedy's comments, seized the opportunity to fuel distrust in public health measures that have been in place for decades.

Fluoride has been a cornerstone of public health strategies to combat tooth decay since the mid-20th century, with countless studies validating its safety and efficacy.

Yet, in today's hyperconnected world, misinformation from leading figures - often lacking scientific backing - can spawn health myths and spread them with unprecedented speed.

Caveats and qualifications on research findings are lost in the clamour of alarming headlines and sound bites. Misinformation about health issues can cause harm and even claim lives.

WORRYING TRENDS IN HEALTH MISINFORMATION

The fluoride debate is not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend where health misinformation flourishes online, allowing unproven and often dangerous health claims to thrive and propagate.