Why do women read the Daily Mail?

I don’t usually read the Daily Fail’s website but sometimes its headlines are so ridiculous that, when you catch sight of one via Twitter or someone else’s newspaper on public transport, you just have to investigate further. Like this: Gender-bender chemicals ‘putting everyone at risk’. From the use of the phrase ‘gender bender’ to the quote marks around ‘putting everyone at risk’, I found it impossible to ignore and so (to my eternal shame) clicked on the link…

Millions of people have been contaminated with potentially dangerous gender-bending chemicals from food packaging, drinks cans and baby bottles, a study shows.

Researchers say the general public is ‘ubiquitously’ exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) – a man-made chemical linked to breast cancer, fertility problems and birth defects.

The chemical, which mimics the female sex hormone oestrogen, was found at detectable levels in most pregnant women, teenagers and children.

Although the levels are within the official safety guidelines, anti-chemical campaigners say there is worrying evidence that BPA is harmful at low levels.

As expected, the content of the article was nowhere near as horrendous and life threatening as the hideous headline suggests. Mind you, the chemical in question apparently mimics the female hormone oestrogen and nobody wants to be a woman, right? I mean, why would you… that’d be awful.