Letter: Skepticism your best shield against false info

The new year has barely begun and already we're being deluged with new false claims, misinformation and outright lies. Often these are financially or politically motivated. Let me give you a few examples.

Because I'm a nurse, especially interested in nutrition, I was shocked to see recent news headlines "Obesity is caused by your genes" and "New drugs focusing on genes cure obesity."

These new drugs require weekly injections and cost $1,300 a month. And the weight comes back once you stop using it.

Perhaps the most harmful effect is how these drugs will detract from focusing on the real cause of obesity. A preponderance of evidence shows it's our modern American diet, with its increasing reliance on ultra-processed foods, that is primarily responsible for our skyrocketing rates of obesity in this country.

Another recent example was Damar Hamlin's sudden collapse on the football field. Many fans searched the web for real-time updates and instead found an avalanche of totally unsupported claims that COVID vaccines were the cause of his heart attack.

Charles Kirk, an anti-vaxxer, repeatedly spread this claim on Twitter, reaching millions without providing a single shred of evidence.

Another popular "whopper" involves the assault weapons ban. The web is filled with claims that guns will be taken away from citizens. This not true. The law only requires Illinoisans who already own semi-automatic weapons to register them so police can track them.

What can we do to protect ourselves from such harmful claims? Don't just accept claims, even by very convincing promoters, who have no facts to back them up. Be skeptical and question who is benefiting from such claims. Be especially wary of Facebook and Twitter, which have become unchecked echo chambers for misinformation and damaging falsehoods.

In that way we can help lessen the damage false claims are causing.

Joan Davis

Huntley