CBS Sunday Morning Faux Pas

I like the CBS Sunday Morning news program quite a bit, and typically watch it every week. Today (2/3/08), one of their news segments focused on the use / abuse of Steroids in America, which was a rather enlightening look at how widespread and rampant the use of the illicit drug (well, i.e., illegal without a prescription) is in the USA.

What got my attention, is when, after repeatedly showing bottles of various testosterone derivations (aka, Steroids) and related things like human growth hormone throughout the segment, their camera zoomed in on a bottle of Cyanocobalamin towards the end of the spot. That is NOT a Steroid - it is VITAMIN B12! I can just picture people in America now thinking a component of a standard daily multi-vitamin contains or is a steroid, or, perhaps people will next be out searching for B12 in hopes it makes them gain strength and muscle (note: it may actually make them feel a bit more energetic - many claim it does).

So, I sent the CBS Sunday Morning show an Email asking them to have a medical professional review such footage before airing, as it could give the wrong impression to people (of what Vitamin B-12 is).

The only reason I mention this here otherwise is because I wrote a discussion here on the Gluten-Free / Wheat-Free blog last September I called Medical Secrets Revealed : Vitamin B12 administration, where I discussed the simple technique of increasing B-12 absorption (something that can be incredibly important to individuals with impaired nutrient absorption from the side-effects of Celiac Disease). Vitamin B-12 is important for brain function, nervous system function, and for the formation of blood cells, which certainly is important. But, that doesn't make it a steroid :)