Angels and Demons

No this post doesn't concern Dan Brown's best-selling mystery novel by this title nor even reference the seasonally-referenced celestial battle presaging the birth of Christ which celebration is quickly upon us. But, like the engaging plot of a quick-read novel or the enduring scriptural lessons about man's struggle to live good lives resisting evil designs and temptations, the notion of "angels and demons" leapt to mind when I read the recent study in the International Journal of Obesity on "white hat bias."

Coming on the heels of "Climategate" with its ethically-challenged but politically-correct data suppression and intimidation, the article by David B. Allison, director of the Nutrition and Obesity Research Center at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and former colleague Dr. Mark Cope, touches many of the same sensitivities. The two scientists reviewed studies of the effects of consuming sugar-based beverages and breastfeeding and found consistent "white hat bias (WHB)." Without regard to how one feels about the quality of research into global warming or the contributions of sugar-sweetened beverages or breastfeeding to consequent obesity, we hope we can all agree that the assault on scientific integrity in the name of assorted "white hat" do-good causes is, ultimately, self-defeating and something worthy of universal concern.

They define WHB as "bias leading to distortion of research-based information in the service of what may be perceived as righteous ends." (The reference to "white hats" being to early Hollywood western films where the "good guys" wore white hats while outlaws wore black hats).

Allison and Cope conclude that obesity research "may be misrepresented by scientists operating with particular biases ... sufficient to mislead readers." Allison sounds "a warning bell," stating: "White-hat bias is a slippery slope that science and medicine need to resist." He continued: "Some researchers like to demonize certain products or defend practices with a kind of righteous zeal, but it's wrong to stray from truthfulness in research reporting."

The NIH-funded study noted that "this bias appeared in studies not funded by industry."

As in Climategate, the parallels with the salt/health controversy are uncanny. Scientists have long been accorded vast public credibility owing to their systemic pursuit of truth. We all need vigilance to unmask those (hopefully, few) who would abuse this credibility and play fast-and-loose with the expected high standards of scientific inquiry. We all want medical researchers who are angels of truth who rigorously resist the corruption of white hat bias in pursuit of their personal "righteous" - but wrong - political preferences.