sebb@pyuxss.UUCP (12/07/83)
Here are the results of the survey on vitamins I posted about 3 weeks ago. I got quite a few reponses(considering the number of people that I believe read net.med) and many people expressed a desire to see the results and my own views on the subject. First the results(my opinions are in a separate article because this is long enough already): Question 1: Do you take vitamins? 15 responses 13 yes or sometimes 2 no Question 2: Why do you take vitamins? 8 to make up for bad diets and abusive lifestyles 4 to prevent colds 2 because my parents give them to me 2 because vitamin supplements are good for you Question 3: Do vitamins have preventative or curative powers? Most people agreed that vitamins could prevent certain diseases caused by deficiencies. Preventative: 6 said yes (mostly for colds, the flu) 6 said no 4 said maybe or no opinion Curative: 4 said vitamins have curative powers(actual or as a psychological boost-placebo) 7 said no 4 said maybe or no opinion Question 4,5: Medical emphasis 7 people said the medical profession should emphasize nutrition more and vitamins if studies backed up such an opinion. Education was a word used quite often. People seem to feel that their doctors do not emphasize the im- portance of a good diet. 1 person said vitamins should be emphasized less 2 people said that present emphasis was fine 3 people had no opinion This is obviously a personal question, depending on what your own doctor tells you. Question 6: The value of vitamins I have to apologize on the wording of this question; I meant vitamin supplements. Most people distinguished supplements from dietary vitamns for me. No one said that vitamins, themselves, were quarkery. 1 person said that supplements are worthless. 5 people said that megavitamins are worthless. Question 7: Are vitamins a waste of money? 3 people said yes 10 said no 3 had no opinion 1 person said that it depended on the person and the usage- actually an opinion echoed by a few people who thought that vitamins are not a waste of money. Question 8: Do you or could you get a balanced diet w/o vitamins? This is my favorite question. 4 people said yes 2 people said sometimes 3 people said it was doubtful 7 people said no(many of whom said they led a fairly abusive lifestyle) Thanks to all who responded. I found all the responses interesting. Sharon Badian