“Gluten is the term for proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. It has glue-like properties, allowing food to stay together. Celiac disease occurs in people with a genetic predisposition and results in damage to the small intestine because of gluten sensitivity. It makes digestion difficult for the affected population.”
The first bad reason is the same one explaining why people buy gluten-free food for themselves. The same website that supplied that explanation above goes on to say, “If you purchase a grain-free dog food, that generally means it’s also gluten-free. A manufacturer might label a grain-free food as also being gluten-free, but that’s marketing for the uninformed.” The only reason they would do that is to sell more product by driving an imaginary competitive advantage. (It might allow them to charge more, too.)
The second bad reason is to assume a gluten-free diet would benefit the pet. “Most dogs do not suffer from celiac disease, so a gluten-free diet is not necessary.” The sole exception is Irish setters that may have inherited a gluten intolerance, but this includes just a few Irish setters.
The only good reason would be if a dog had celiac disease, confirmed by a vet with blood tests and a biopsy of the intestine. This would be a rare situation even if Irish setters were very common. To make sure I checked for the 10 most popular dog breeds according to the American Kennel Club. Irish setters didn’t make the list.
Then why do we see so many ads and associated material for gluten-free dog food? – The same reason we see gluten-free posted on so much people food – “marketing for the uninformed.”
Workplace Wellness Programs: These became all the rage over the past decade or so, especially within large companies. This website echoes the universal sentiment:
“Considering the improvement to the well-being and productivity of a healthy workplace, and the amount of time we spend at our workplaces, it makes sense to foster workplace wellness programs. Not only does it affect the output of team members, but it makes them feel good in all areas of life—including work.”
Having a suite of such programs makes an employer appear to be progressive and caring while making a wise investment. “One of the signs of a top-notch employer will be a workplace wellness program.”
Top-notch or not, a program that doesn’t work is not a good use of time and money, and according to this NPR health report, that might be the case. Workplace wellness programs, now an $8 billion industry, have received conflicting marks over the years from various studies, but none have been carefully designed enough to rely on – until now.
Researchers from the University of Chicago and Harvard conducted the first large-scale, peer-reviewed study with a randomized controlled trial design. “They published their findings [last] Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA.” Details of the study can be found by following the link.
In the end, participants self-reported healthier behavior than those not enrolled, such as exercising more or managing their weight better. “But the efforts did not result in differences in health measures, such as improved blood sugar or glucose levels, how much employers spent on health care or how often employees missed work. Their job performance and how long they stuck around in their jobs also seemed unaffected, the researchers say.”
Since a benefit given is nearly impossible to take back, the large number of companies that have them will be forced to assume some hidden return on investment, but the latest scientific data does not really back that up.
Death Threats: Now that the Internet allows people to make death threats without leaving the comfort of their homes or even on the go from their phones, there seem to be more of them – and for more and more trivial reasons. Just last week an Atlanta meteorologist received death threats and other “inappropriate messages” for interrupting the Masters golf tournament to update viewers on tornado watches in the area. Of course a watch is not as serious as a warning, but it’s far more serious than watching golf on TV – except to some who accused the meteorologist of being pretentious and wasting their time. Perspective, anyone?
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