Comments on: Football is linked to dementia, and why it should be banned from high schools http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/football-linked-dementia-banned-high-schools.html Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Paul Caryhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/football-linked-dementia-banned-high-schools.html#comment-175692 Paul Cary Tue, 02 Aug 2011 01:45:00 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40826#comment-175692 Football is absolutely a non sport. Can you see Ichiro playing Football? I rest my case as only 350 -400 lb. maniacs can play the game. Football is absolutely a non sport. Can you see Ichiro playing Football? I rest my case as only 350 -400 lb. maniacs can play the game.

]]> By: Brianhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/football-linked-dementia-banned-high-schools.html#comment-117240 Brian Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:13:41 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40826#comment-117240 Doc, I can see where you're coming from. However, Dr. Moore's post was in no way arguing that football ought to be banned entirely, much less by any official route (though he did mention it would be banned in <i>his</i> house). Parents can and will allow their kids to take risks, including football, if they so choose. Nevertheless, there <i>are</i> abnormal histopathological findings that result from it, the significance of which is not yet fully understood. So <i>if</i> a parent chooses to allow his or her child to participate nevertheless, that choice ought to be made responsibly. Doc, I can see where you’re coming from. However, Dr. Moore’s post was in no way arguing that football ought to be banned entirely, much less by any official route (though he did mention it would be banned in his house). Parents can and will allow their kids to take risks, including football, if they so choose. Nevertheless, there are abnormal histopathological findings that result from it, the significance of which is not yet fully understood. So if a parent chooses to allow his or her child to participate nevertheless, that choice ought to be made responsibly.

]]> By: Doc Stonehttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/football-linked-dementia-banned-high-schools.html#comment-117221 Doc Stone Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:47:35 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40826#comment-117221 The above is a bit of a rant, but I am sick of everytime I come to this site, there is a new list of what ought to be "banned" or made "illegal". What ever happened to freedom? Is the secret web site of the American Medico-fascist League? The above is a bit of a rant, but I am sick of everytime I come to this site, there is a new list of what ought to be “banned” or made “illegal”. What ever happened to freedom? Is the secret web site of the American Medico-fascist League?

]]> By: Doc Stonehttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/football-linked-dementia-banned-high-schools.html#comment-117219 Doc Stone Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:44:14 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40826#comment-117219 Yes I did. Why the snarky question?It seems that if one follows every anti-freedom movement back far enough, it always leads to a doctor who can not be satisfied with identifying a health concern and persuading other to appropriate consideration of the risks but who must introduce the notion of using legal coercion to improve the public health. Sure we rid ourselves of a high burden of water and mosquito borne illness that way, but enough is enough. We should never forget that medical men, in the quest to use power to force "improvements" in the world, were also behind the start of the Holocaust, the genocide in Bosnia, and even played a role in the murderous Muslim Brotherhood. Yes I did. Why the snarky question?

It seems that if one follows every anti-freedom movement back far enough, it always leads to a doctor who can not be satisfied with identifying a health concern and persuading other to appropriate consideration of the risks but who must introduce the notion of using legal coercion to improve the public health. Sure we rid ourselves of a high burden of water and mosquito borne illness that way, but enough is enough. We should never forget that medical men, in the quest to use power to force “improvements” in the world, were also behind the start of the Holocaust, the genocide in Bosnia, and even played a role in the murderous Muslim Brotherhood.

]]> By: Brianhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/football-linked-dementia-banned-high-schools.html#comment-117072 Brian Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:40:52 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40826#comment-117072 Drs. D & Stone:Guys, did you bother actually reading either of Dr. Moore's or Malcolm Gladwell's articles? Drs. D & Stone:

Guys, did you bother actually reading either of Dr. Moore’s or Malcolm Gladwell’s articles?

]]> By: Doctor Dhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/football-linked-dementia-banned-high-schools.html#comment-116985 Doctor D Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:47:12 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40826#comment-116985 Great idea! Physicians should encourage the banning of a popular sport that young people love to play based on flimsy research. That will really encourage people to listen to us when we talk about real public health threats like smoking.Outlawing highschool football due to some pro players developing dementia is like outlawing bumper cars because NASCAR driving is dangerous. The difference in magnitude is significant. The Prohibition was a similar public health strategy: if a lot of something is bad we should just outlaw all of it! Heck we should stop all children from running because running slightly increases the risk of falling and hitting one's head!There are lots of former highschool football players out there. I would like to see a well design study conclusively proving a correlation between high school play and later life dementia, before I consider banning a sport young men love. And no, the presence of proteins in a single student's autopsy and impact sensors in helmets may be fun anecdotal data but they don't prove clinical dementia will occur.But just forget sound research--doctors love hysteria bandwagons just as much as anyone! Let's ban highschool football! Great idea! Physicians should encourage the banning of a popular sport that young people love to play based on flimsy research. That will really encourage people to listen to us when we talk about real public health threats like smoking.

Outlawing highschool football due to some pro players developing dementia is like outlawing bumper cars because NASCAR driving is dangerous. The difference in magnitude is significant. The Prohibition was a similar public health strategy: if a lot of something is bad we should just outlaw all of it! Heck we should stop all children from running because running slightly increases the risk of falling and hitting one’s head!

There are lots of former highschool football players out there. I would like to see a well design study conclusively proving a correlation between high school play and later life dementia, before I consider banning a sport young men love. And no, the presence of proteins in a single student’s autopsy and impact sensors in helmets may be fun anecdotal data but they don’t prove clinical dementia will occur.

But just forget sound research–doctors love hysteria bandwagons just as much as anyone! Let’s ban highschool football!

]]> By: Doc Stonehttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/football-linked-dementia-banned-high-schools.html#comment-116888 Doc Stone Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:29:42 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40826#comment-116888 My kids didn't play, but they had something to lose--they were smart. Life is full of risks and people have the right to pursue happiness according to their own inclinations as long as they don't interfere with others. That means the kids so inclined have the right to, by mutual consent, go out and bash each other on the head. It also means that doctors don't have the right to force their worship of health on others anymore than footballers have the right to bash non-participants in the head.Gamecocks, rutting bucks, and adolescent boys like to smash into each other. Let them. Otherwise you might as well just geld them at birth.So what if they kill some cells, most of the public school kids around here are beating the odds if the actually graduate and work up to fry cook anyway. How many neurons do they need? Let them have their moment of glory. My kids didn’t play, but they had something to lose–they were smart. Life is full of risks and people have the right to pursue happiness according to their own inclinations as long as they don’t interfere with others. That means the kids so inclined have the right to, by mutual consent, go out and bash each other on the head. It also means that doctors don’t have the right to force their worship of health on others anymore than footballers have the right to bash non-participants in the head.

Gamecocks, rutting bucks, and adolescent boys like to smash into each other. Let them. Otherwise you might as well just geld them at birth.

So what if they kill some cells, most of the public school kids around here are beating the odds if the actually graduate and work up to fry cook anyway. How many neurons do they need? Let them have their moment of glory.

]]> By: mehttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/football-linked-dementia-banned-high-schools.html#comment-116785 me Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:08:07 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40826#comment-116785 @Kathleen-ha! i for damn sure will discourage my children from pursuing a career in medicine. for a multitude of reasons. @Kathleen-

ha! i for damn sure will discourage my children from pursuing a career in medicine. for a multitude of reasons.

]]> By: hawkhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/football-linked-dementia-banned-high-schools.html#comment-116768 hawk Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:53:39 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40826#comment-116768 as an er doc, I see football player with concussion sx all the time. after the first injury, I recommend no football for 6 months or until cleared by neurology. after the second injury, I recommend parents take their kids out of the sport. You would not believe the anger I see with this, but I clearly document this on all of the charts, and in the discharge instructions. as an er doc, I see football player with concussion sx all the time. after the first injury, I recommend no football for 6 months or until cleared by neurology. after the second injury, I recommend parents take their kids out of the sport. You would not believe the anger I see with this, but I clearly document this on all of the charts, and in the discharge instructions.

]]> By: Doc99http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/11/football-linked-dementia-banned-high-schools.html#comment-116761 Doc99 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:03:57 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=40826#comment-116761 That does it! My kids are enrolling in Brazilian jiu jitsu instead. That does it! My kids are enrolling in Brazilian jiu jitsu instead.

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