A January 2, 2008 piece noted ACSH's annual list of top health scares:
The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) has included alleged links between meat consumption and cancer on its list of "Top 10 Unfounded Health Scares of 2007." ACSH ranked the unjustified media coverage on meat consumption third behind stories about lead in cosmetics and fluoridated water causing health problems.
Two separate studies generated the unwarranted negative coverage about meat. One in April claimed women who regularly ate red and processed meat were at an elevated risk for breast cancer. The other, in October, suggested high consumption of meat increased the chances for colorectal cancer.
According to ACSH, "It is imperative that the public examines the report with a keen eye. It is not the consumption of large amounts of red meat and processed meat that causes cancer, only that there is a weak association between the two due to obesity. A more accurate report would focus on how obesity as a whole can increase risk for cancer."
