Lack of originality: a silent killer
Monday, November 15, 2010 |
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Categories: Health writing, Marketing communications
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This post is long overdue, but I just saw yet another reference to a ‘silent killer’… If you are looking for an original way to describe a health threat, avoid this moniker!
I believe that I first saw the term applied to high blood pressure, many years ago. And to be fair, it works in that instance. If you aren’t looking for it, high blood pressure can present no symptoms until a dangerous event like a stroke. But if I’m right (and correct me if I’m wrong!) those who follow suit in using the term are not only unoriginal, but often inaccurate!
A quick search for ‘silent killer’ unearthed a number of interesting results:
- Ovarian Cancer
- Aspartame
- Carbon monoxide
- According to Oprah, diabetes
- Cancer
- Stress
- Drowning
- Asbestos
- Coffee creamer
Coffee creamer? Seriously? Isn’t that a bit melodramatic? Even if the deadliness of some of these examples is debatable (as well as the silence), can we at least agree that the phrase has been overused, and move on? Let’s quietly put ‘silent killer’ to rest.