The following memo appeared in the newsletter of the West Meria Public Health Council.
“An innovative treatment has come to our attention that promises to significantly reduce absenteeism in our schools and workplaces. A study reports that in nearby East Meria, where consumption of the plant beneficia is very high, people visit the doctor only once or twice per year for the treatment of colds. Clearly, eating a substantial amount of beneficia can prevent colds. Since colds are the reason most frequently given for absences from school and work, we recommend the daily use of nutritional supplements derived from beneficia. We predict this will dramatically reduce absenteeism in our schools and workplaces.”
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
The West Meria Public Health Council states that eating large quantities of the herb beneficia can prevent people from getting sick. While the council recommends the herb, it does not explain why people should eat large quantities of the herb or how it can be expected to prevent people from getting sick. The memo does not present any evidence that eating large amounts of beneficia cures colds, nor does it show that eating large quantities of the herb will prevent colds in the first place. Thus, the council’s recommendation to use beneficia to prevent colds is based on an assumption that is not supported by any evidence. The council’s recommendation should be rejected because it lacks substance and credibility.’The West Meria Public Health Council’s recommendation is that the people of West Meria eat large quantities of the herbal remedy, beneficia. However, the memo does not explain why the herb should be used for this purpose. The council’s recommendation is based on an assumption that eating large quantities of the herb will cure colds, and the memo provides no evidence for this assertion. The memo implies that eating large quantities of the herb will prevent people from getting sick. However, there is no evidence to support this idea either. To evaluate whether the council’s recommendation is likely to be successful, the council must provide evidence that eating large quantities of the herb will cure colds and prevent people from getting sick.
The council does not explain why people should eat large quantities of the herb. It is unclear whether the council wants everyone in West Meria to eat the herb or only those individuals who have a cold. If the council wants everyone to eat the herb, then the council must explain how the herb will prevent colds. However, the council does not provide this explanation. In addition, the council does not explain how it knows people in West Meria have colds. West Meria has cold weather all year, and people suffer from colds in the winter when outside temperatures are low. The council’s recommendation to eat large quantities of the herb during the cold months could be a stretch, and people may eat the herb when they are sick. The council should, therefore, provide evidence that eating large quantities of the herb prevents colds.
To prove the efficacy of the herb, the council should conduct a study that compares the health of people who eat large quantities of the herb with the health of people who do not eat the herb. The study should include a description of the population, the time of year, and the control group. Participants in the study should include children, as well as adults. People who eat the herb should be asked to report all illnesses for 12 months. The council should measure the amount of beneficia consumed and report the results. The council should also measure other diseases, such as flu and the common cold. The council should compare the number of individuals suffering from colds in both groups. The council should also compare the number of people who visit the doctor for colds in each group.
If the council finds that the people who eat the herb have smaller numbers of colds, fewer visits to the doctor, and better health overall, then the council should include this information in its newsletter. The council should also provide a follow-up newsletter that explains why the herb is effective. The council should emphasize that eating large quantities of the herb does not cure colds, but improves overall health. The council should explain that eating large quantities of the herb can prevent colds by strengthening the immune system. The council should emphasize that people should eat the herb only when they are sick. The herb should not be used to prevent colds, since eating large quantities of the herb may interfere with a person’s ability to fight the common cold.
The West Meria Public Health Council’s recommendation is that the people of West Meria eat large quantities of the herb, beneficia. However, the council’s recommendation lacks substance and credibility because the council does not explain how the herb should be used to prevent colds. The council should conduct a study that compares the health of people who eat large quantities of the herb with the health of people who do not eat the herb. The council should also provide evidence that eating large quantities of the herb prevents colds.