The Guardian85%
The peptide boom: how the US got hooked on unregulated ‘miracle’ drugs | On the Ground 80%
By Adam Gabbatt0% Tom Silverstone0% Katie Arnold0%
6/16/2026, 2:16:37 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 16 faulty reasoning types, including Biased Writer Voice, Framing Effect, and Hasty Generalization, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 100% saturation with 104 hits. Analysis detected 700 faulty-reasoning hits from 104 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 69.7% and a BS Rank of 80% (4,717 of 22,840 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 79.40% of the article peer group.
Across the US, thousands of people are injecting themselves with unregulated peptides in pursuit of weight loss, muscle growth and younger-looking skin.
Despite being labelled 'not for human consumption', the substances are readily available online and have surged in popularity among people disillusioned by traditional healthcare.
To find out why so many Americans are willing to risk unknown side-effects for the promise of a quick fix, Adam Gabbatt meets the users and influencers driving the peptide boom, and investigates what's really inside some of these so-called 'miracle' drugs
Confirmation Bias
0%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
2.7%Publicationthe Guardian
3.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anchoring Bias
0%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
1.1%Publicationthe Guardian
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
21.2%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
21.2%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
4.7%Publicationthe Guardian
3.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
21.2%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
21.2%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
1.5%Publicationthe Guardian
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.5%Publicationthe Guardian
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Overconfidence Bias
0%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
3.8%Publicationthe Guardian
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
78.8%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
78.8%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
10.4%Publicationthe Guardian
6.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
0%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
1%Publicationthe Guardian
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
23.1%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
23.1%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.4%Publicationthe Guardian
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Optimism Bias
0%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
1.5%Publicationthe Guardian
2.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
40.4%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
40.4%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
5.9%Publicationthe Guardian
2.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
100%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
100%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
25.1%Publicationthe Guardian
10.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
0%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.5%Publicationthe Guardian
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
2.4%Publicationthe Guardian
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
0%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
1.3%Publicationthe Guardian
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
2.5%Publicationthe Guardian
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Halo Effect
0%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
3.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.4%Publicationthe Guardian
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Recency Bias
0%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.2%Publicationthe Guardian
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
1.4%Publicationthe Guardian
2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.6%Publicationthe Guardian
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
0%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
3.9%Publicationthe Guardian
3.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
23.1%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
23.1%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
1.6%Publicationthe Guardian
1.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
0%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.4%Publicationthe Guardian
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
0%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.2%Publicationthe Guardian
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hasty Generalization
61.5%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
61.5%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
12.9%Publicationthe Guardian
6.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Bandwagon
0%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.5%Publicationthe Guardian
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
40.4%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
40.4%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
6.5%Publicationthe Guardian
5.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
40.4%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
40.4%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
2%Publicationthe Guardian
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
23.1%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
23.1%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
4%Publicationthe Guardian
2.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Burden of Proof
0%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.3%Publicationthe Guardian
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.9%Publicationthe Guardian
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anecdotal
21.2%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
21.2%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
4.8%Publicationthe Guardian
3.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ambiguity (Equivocation)
15.4%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
15.4%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
2.3%Publicationthe Guardian
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Special Pleading
0%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0%Publicationthe Guardian
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.3%Publicationthe Guardian
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Unattributed Quote
23.1%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
23.1%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
2.8%Publicationthe Guardian
1.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
40.4%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
40.4%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
3.1%Publicationthe Guardian
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Biased Writer Voice
100%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
100%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
21.1%Publicationthe Guardian
10.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
0%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
2.3%Publicationthe Guardian
1.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
7.1%Publicationthe Guardian
3.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.6%Publicationthe Guardian
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
0%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAdam Gabbatt
0.9%Publicationthe Guardian
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
104 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.