NEWS FLASH: BACON AND OTHER PROCESSED MEATS CAUSE CANCER

In a familiar routine, the news that a major scientific study has (again) confirmed a causal connection between processed meats (bacon, sausage, lunchmeat etc.) and cancer has already been swamped by stories of "defiant" meat-eaters who oh-so-bravely continue to eat the crap in question despite warnings from "scaremongers." (How come those noting lead content in toys aren't "scaremongers"? I suppose they are, to Mattel.)

What's both amusing and sadly predictable in the situation is the media presentation as though this was one new, sole piece of data, when it's actually an overview of reams of science confirming something that's already been pretty well known for at least a decade.

We get it - to meat-lovers, no amount of science is sufficient to alter your eating habit. But really, if "living it up" is your highest goal in life, great, go ahead and kill yourself - as long as you do it without ruining the environment and killing animals, more power to you!