''Panic Nation: Unpicking the Myths We're Told About Food and Health'', also published as ''Panic Nation: Exposing the Myths We're Told About Food and Health'', is a

nonfiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...

book by Stanley Feldman and Vincent Marks. It was published by John Blake in 2005.

Overview

This book focuses on debunking many popular misconceptions about

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ...

and

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity". World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Org ...

that are common in the world today, in line with the introduction to the book that quotes Frederick II of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

who wrote in the thirteenth century: 'One ought not to believe anything, save that which can be proven by nature and the force of reason.'

Synopsis

The book comprises a series of essays written by individuals working in related fields. These writers address the state of knowledge in the specific fields and how this conflicts with common knowledge. The contributors are Stanley Feldman, Vincent Marks, Michael Fizpatrick, Maurice Hanssen, John Henry,

Mick Hume Mick Hume (born 1959) is a British journalist and author whose writing focuses on issues of free speech and freedom of the press. Hume was a columnist for '' The Times'' for ten years from 1999, and was described as "Britain's only libertarian Ma ...

, Lakshman Karalliedde, Malcolm Kendrick,

Peter Lachmann Sir Peter Julius Lachmann (23 December 1931 – 26 December 2020) was a British immunologist, specialising in the study of the complement system. He was emeritus Sheila Joan Smith Professor of Immunology at the University of Cambridge, a fell ...

, James Le Fanu, Sandy Macnair, Sam Shuster and

Dick Taverne Dick Taverne, Baron Taverne, (born 18 October 1928) is a British politician and life peer who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Lincoln from 1962 to 1974. A member of the Liberal Democrats, he was a Labour MP until his deselection in ...

QC.

Reception

Michael Gard, in a paper in the book ''Biopolitics and the 'obesity epidemic': governing bodies'', commented that the "consistent line of the 30 chapters is that pressure groups and bad scientists have managed to grossly exaggerate the health risks of things like salt, sugar, cholesterol, fast food and passive smoking." Writing in the ''

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...

'', William Sidelsky said, "The basic problem, according to the authors, is that our society is in thrall to the 'precautionary principle'. Ours is a worst-case-scenario mentality whereby any small or medium-sized risk is converted into a portent of near-certain catastrophe." He added, "It is hard not to concede that they have a point. The tone of the book may be trenchant, but the arguments are sensible and even-handed."

Overview

Synopsis

Reception

See also

References

Further reading