The pair shared a video which made a number of claims about breast cancer over the weekend.
After issuing an apology for sharing a video on social media which made a series of claims about breast cancer, Stephen and David Flynn, who run The Happy Pear restaurant, have attracted further backlash, with many on Twitter claiming that the apology falls short.
In the now deleted video, they claimed that breast cancer rates in high income countries like Ireland and UK are much higher than countries like China. They then said that high intake of saturated fats and excessive dairy consumption can be a factor in causing breast cancer and a plant-based diet with foods like soy and mushrooms can help in the prevention of the disease.
After many labelled the video misleading and factually incorrect, the Flynn brothers took it down and issued an apology.
It read: “The Happy Pear acknowledges that some of the content in a recent post promoting an upcoming podcast with Dr Nitu Bajekal, Consultant Obstetrician and gynaecologist from London UK, has caused offence as a few of the statements were not qualified appropriately.
“We sincerely apologise for any offence caused, it is never our intention to mislead or to misinform.
“The Happy Pear partners with many highly qualified and experienced medical practitioners and we always defer to their professional expertise and opinions.”
This isn’t an apology. They’re literally smirking throughout the entire thing.
Appalling. pic.twitter.com/xICBfpUL7r
— Lucy O’Shea🌸 (@lucyoshea) April 25, 2022
The twins also posted a video on social media, apologising for any upset caused.
However, many on social media felt that they should have addressed the claims made in the video directly, rather than just apologising for causing offence.
“They apologised for upsetting people – not for the incorrect advice offered,” one person wrote.
Another re-shared the Flynn’s apology video and wrote: “This isn’t an apology, they’re literally smirking throughout the entire thing.”
Another Twitter user shared the video, as well as her own experience with breast cancer.
She wrote: “My consultant said my type of breast cancer wasn’t cause by diet or lifestyle choices. They are still researching what causes it (….) Stop blaming people for getting cancer.”
Yesterday, cancer researcher and science writer Dr David Robert Grimes criticised the video and stressed that “cancer is not a moral failing, it’s a disease”.
