2015: a year in review
BMJ 2015; 351 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h6921 (Published 23 December 2015) Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h6921
- Sophie Arie, freelance journalist, London, UK
- sarie{at}bmj.com
January: Dying of cancer is the best death, Richard Smith
Is dying of cancer the best death? Richard Smith, the journal’s former editor, triggered a global debate among clinicians, patients, and carers in a New Year blog post (http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2014/12/31/richard-smith-dying-of-cancer-is-the-best-death/) about the best way to die. Cancer, he argued, unlike dementia and organ failure, lets you say goodbye, and “reflect on life, leave last messages, visit special places etc,” His post and a follow-up one (http://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2015/01/05/death-a-response-from-richard-smith/) quickly went viral across social media and garnered UK and international coverage.1
February: Sugar’s web of influence, graphic by Will Stahl-Timmins
This graphic (www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h231/infographic) showing the links between the UK’s leading sugar experts and the sugar industry was one of the most viewed graphics of the year. It accompanied an investigation, at a time of growing debate worldwide over whether a tax on sugar is the best way to tackle obesity, into the financial ties between academics advising the government on nutrition and the companies producing our food.2 The controversy that followed has fuelled discussions among food researchers about their …
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