Beauty Makes You Healthy

Aside from taking a few months to get NIH and IRB approval for this site (also known as being caught up in finals and having to find a JOB, sorry), I figure it's time to get this experiment rolling!

So let's start with an easy one:

Researcher Who Works For Chain Drug Stores Tells You MakeUp Makes You Feel Good

Now, Thom Blischok, a president of innovation and strategy(!) gave a webinar at a conference for Chain Drug Stores. Now, the title of the webinar gives away too much of his bias, so I'm going to ignore it for just a second.

First off, this webinar was about drug stores and how they should lay out their locations to get people to buy more stuff.  Let's face it, this is a capitalistic society, and most any meeting of the minds for an industry is going to boil down to: How do we get people to buy more stuff?

Let's just say that it's not a coincidence that the stuff you see at the front of CVS or Walgreen's is nothing but candy, snacks, and nail polish and lip gloss.  Items that cater to immediate needs (food) and vanity (makeup) tend to drive a lot of extra profit for these companies, because they will take root in your brain as you walk through the store looking for your q-tips and DayQuil and toilet paper.   And as the cash registers are also at the front of the store, when you come forward again with your actual pharmaceutical needs, the items that looked so very appealing to you when you came in are still there, waiting patiently to be bought.

So.  This Mr. Blischok is also apparently responsible for the ingenious profit-driving advice that pharmacies should stock their OTC drugs in groups of treatments for diseases/issues that co-occur (called comorbidity in the field).  For example, his research found that people with high blood pressure also tend to have gastrointestinal issues as well!  So stock your blood pressure medication alongside your Immodium and Pepto! One-stop shopping that feeds off of your own problems.

Sure, it looks convenient to the shopper.  And it is!  But always bear in mind that convenience for you equals profit for them.

So, this recent claim of his that beauty will bring you health?  Probably bunk.  The article makes no reference to his "research," indicating that it's probably market research that has never been seen by a peer reviewer.  I would also be careful throwing around terms like he is, because he's making it sound like a drug.  So long as he doesn't mention any specific health benefits, I guess he'll snake around the laws that got Cheerios in trouble.  But still.

You should always question effects that seem unrelated (Makeup makes you healthy!  Cereal makes you happy! Beer gets you hot women!), especially when they are reported by the people who are selling you the objects purported to give you said effect.


His claims that "beauty" is an integral part of the "health" concept are not justified, and they only serve to do as his webinar title suggests: "Redefining Health and Beauty Care for Untapped Profit Potential."


So when you stop to fill your next prescription, and you notice that lipstick is now paired with the cold sore medication and medicated lip balms, just thank this guy.  Eyeshadow next to the eye drops, how convenient! Blush next to rosacea-reducing creams, who would have thought of it!

They're Lying To You

Good evening, world.

I am starting an experiment. It's only natural, since I'm about to be a Senior working towards my BA in Psychology. So, here is your informed consent form. Please sign and date and hand back in to your researcher.

TITLE: They're Lying To You - An investigative look into the world of Psychology Reports in Media.

INVESTIGATOR: Reddish (BA-ish - Psychology)

Before agreeing to read this blog, it is important that you read the following explanation for its existence. These statements describe the purpose, procedures, benefits, risks, discomforts, and precautions of the blog. Also described are the alternative procedures available to you, as well as your right to stop reading the blog at any time. No absolute guarantees or assurances can be made as to the results of your having read this blog, much like in real science, where no absolute guarantees or conclusions can EVER be found.

EXPLANATION OF PROCEDURES:

This blog is designed to examine the world of Pop Psychology, or, more specifically, how research may be twisted and misused to form sensationalist headlines that drive a fear-based market. Reddish, an undergraduate student at a Texas-based university, is authoring this blog in hopes that she can help create informed minds that question what they read with a scrutinizing eye. Reading the blog involves nothing more than visiting, reading the topic/article of the moment and diving into the discussion of the merits of said article. New posts will appear as appropriate articles are found to debunk, and may not be on any fit schedule as of yet. Comments will be welcome, but moderated for respect and language.

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There is minimal risk associated with reading any blog. We suggest sitting back from your screen and taking a break every 20 minutes to rest your eyes, to prevent eye strain. This specific blog may pose these potential risks: Skepticism towards mainstream media reports of psychological studies, frustration when a sensitive issue is touched upon (with respect to all sides, we promise), irritation at commenters who disagree, and bad jokes.

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The anticipated benefit of reading this blog is the opportunity to learn how to look at studies with a discerning eye, and to be better informed when you see reports on studies that alarm you. Chances are good that what you are being told is NOT what the researchers found, or what they intended. Telling truth from a fiction is a very beneficial skill.

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If you want a more official flavor, you are welcome to enroll in Research Methodology classes at your local University or community college. This, however, is free. I will also add links to other useful sites as I find them.

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