Hot dogs are bad for your ass #FdAdFriday

"Okay, I guess I'll stop sticking them up there now."

Ah, the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine! Always at the forefront of getting headlines by any means necessary.

Last year, they told Wisconsonites not to eat cheese during football games. Now they're telling people in Chicago not to eat hot dogs just in time for baseball season.

Their message:

"Consuming processed meats increases the risk of colorectal cancer, according to a large number of studies, including the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Studies also show a strong link between other types of cancer and processed meats. An NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, for example, found that processed red meat was associated with a 10 percent increased risk of prostate cancer with every 10 grams of increased intake."

So if I eat 100g of hot dogs, I'm have a 100% chance of getting prostate cancer? I'm already a goner many times over!

As usual, PCRM is just making waves while preaching to their shrill choir. Yes, processed meats are bad for you (especially those nasty factory dogs). But this provocation will do nothing to educate people about making better eating choices. It will, if anything, have the opposite effect as angry Chicagoans are motivated to have a dog just to spite the billboard.

"What about the mustard, relish, onions, pickle, tomato, pepper and celery salt?  Those are vegetables, aren't they?"

Meanwhile, the American Meat Institute does itself no favours by protesting too much:

"Hot dogs are a great Chicago tradition and part of a healthy, balanced diet. They come in a variety of nutrition and taste formulas and they are an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals," said National Hot Dog & Sausage Council President Janet M. Riley. "This group's claims are an effort to seek attention for their animal rights cause.” 

...

"Consumers need a healthy balanced diet and they need balanced, credible information," [says] Riley.  "When it comes to nutrition and cancer, check with health sources such as your doctor, dietician or the U.S. Dietary Guidelines. You can be assured that they will tell you that a healthy diet can include processed meats like hot dogs alongside your vegetables, grains and dairy." 

Damn it, Janet. This isn't health food we're talking about here. People know that hot dogs are salty, smoked, conglomerations of scary dead pig leftovers. We know they are junk food. And we love them anyway. 

Tip via The Consumerist