Average doesn’t tell the whole story
Virtually all of the results presented in medical studies are displayed as ‘average’ or ‘mean’ values. I’m sure everyone knows how to come up with an average or mean (the two are synonymous) value for a group of data points is to add them and divide the sum by the number of data points analyzed. For example, if you are a teacher, and you want to find out the average score on a test you gave to 30 students, you would add all the test scores together and divide by 30. You would then have the ‘mean’ or ‘average’ score of the students in your class.
Most medical papers list the mean values of whatever is being studied. If the researchers are trying to determine whether or not an experimental weight-loss therapy works, they add the weight lost by all the subjects participating in the study then divide by the number of subjects. The number they get is the ‘mean’ or ‘average’ weight loss brought about by the therapy being tested. It all sounds pretty reasonable and scientific, but is it really?
It would be realistic if we were all average people. But we’re not. And averages don’t represent us all that well. In fact, if you think about it, the average American would have one breast and one testicle.
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