Low carb diets like Atkins 'better for blood pressure'

There is a healthier way to go about tackling obesity. In this hard news story the author presents the reader with a more natural alternative to weight loss. A benefit of a low-carb diet is its considerable effect on lowering blood pressure. The key standpoint the author is presenting is to use diet instead of medication. In using diet the individual will experience fewer costs and negative side effects. This proposal is supported by reliable scientific sources including the Archives of Internal Medicine, the Veterans Affairs Medical Centre and Duke University Medical Centre and the British Heart Foundation.

The author leads the reader into the article by using a statement confirmed by US doctors. On a low-carb diet twice as many people have lower blood pressure than people using orlistat (diet drugs). The author tries not to be biased in confirming that both approaches to dieting have achieved equal weight loss. Overweight people are often advised to loose weight to lower their blood pressure this gives the reader an underlying direction towards using a low-carb diet.

The article uses common terms that are easy to understand and a number of sub-headings are used to guide the reader. Each of the two sections ‘medication’ and ‘counselling’ are both supported by research statistics. The author enhanced this with quotes by reputable sources.

It is most important for the author to make it very clear that this diet can be a more effective and well-rounded alternative to weight loss. A further aspect influencing the weight loss is counselling. Only minimal information is provided on the effects counselling the rest of the paragraph is dedicated to describing diet drugs. This may suggest that the author is trying to balance out the argument, giving the reader further information.

In conclusion a general health statement is made by the well-recognised source the British Health Foundation. The author gives the reader the choice suggesting that they themselves need to find something to suite their own needs.

Colon cancer cases ‘may rise 50%’

In this hard news story, the author jumps right in establishing that there will be a 50% increase in the number of new colon cancer cases in the UK, over the next 30 years. This comes across as shock value. In backing the findings using research from the European Journal of Cancer, the reader feels that this is valid data. Nonetheless, once the reader realises that the author is looking at predictions towards the next 30 years, these could be impacted by other external factors.

A number of studies have been made in seven different countries to predict the rates of colon cancer. However, the author says that these studies ‘might’ give the reader space for doubt.The story follows on with the main risk factors explaining why being overweight and colon cancer go hand in hand.

In order to convey how applied computer models can predict the impact of external factors on weight loss, the author uses the research of Dr Andrew Renehan, from the University of Manchester, as well as other author’s research. If the obesity and activity levels stay the same these predictions can come true. Nonetheless, many people know that many things can change and impact such predictions during such a long period of time.

The other paragraph goes on to explain when these values will rise or drop, without ever suggesting any way of prevention. The reader also needs to keep in mind that these are all predictions rather than facts.It seems as if the author is not quiet sure what argument he or she is trying to bring across. The quote by Dr Renehan does not come across as being the best way of explaining the current and future impacts of external influences. Straight after another quote by Professor Jan-Willem Coebergh is used to elaborate on what the prior quote was supposed to bring across in a more simple way. A second study brings forth that it is not only obese individuals that carry excess weight around the waist, but also individuals with BMI below 28.

Nevertheless, the author has still not explained what can be done to prevent colon cancer or treat it. In the second last paragraph not having explained colon cancer at all the author now goes on to explaining bowl cancer. This article contains a vast number of quotes and references to research but lacks flow, clarity and meaning.