This weekend, I am presenting a session at the Asian American Women Leadership Conference to high school and college students about taking care of our bodies. One the topics is common health myths. Despite our best efforts at debunking them, here are 8 pervasive myths:
#1. You
can catch a cold from being too cold. Growing up, how many of us have heard
this from well-meaning parents and grandparents? It’s easy to see how this myth
came to be. People do get more colds in the winter. Going outside in the cold
without proper protection isn’t particularly pleasant, and if you do it enough,
might lead to a weaker immune system. However, we also know that colds are
viral infections that are transmitted through viruses. You catch a cold from someone
else who has a cold, not from being too cold yourself. So, to avoid catching
colds, be diligent about washing your hands (though bundling up in cold weather
isn’t a bad idea either).
#2.
You will get blind if you read in low light. If this is the case, then our
ancestors will surely all have suffered from blindness! It’s not true that
reading in low light leads to blindness. That said, why strain your eyes
unnecessarily? If you have the choice, read in an environment with lighting
that is pleasant to you.
#3. In
order to tan, you must burn first. This is definitely NOT true. Sunburns are
potentially dangerous, and can lead to sunstroke and dehydration, not to
mention skin cancer. Tanning itself carries similar risks. How much you tan
depends on your skin type (there are some people who burn and never tan, for
example), but you should definitely not plan to get sunburned in order to tan.
#4. Muscle
turns to fat if you don’t use it. Anatomically, this just isn’t the case. Muscle
and fat are two different types of tissues, and one doesn’t turn into the
other. However, there may be some truth overall in that if you don’t exercise,
you lose your muscle mass. If you consume the same number of calories as when
you were exercising, you will probably gain weight. So make sure to exercise
regularly!
#5. Alcohol
kills brain cells. In junior high, I watched my teacher drop a rat brain into
alcohol, and the alcohol seemed to eat away at the brain. So alcohol kills
brain cells, right? Well, not exactly. The alcohol that you drink enters your
bloodstream, and doesn’t actually attack your brain directly. Of course, there
are other ways for alcohol to injure your brain: for example, binge drinking
can lead to decrease in breathing and injury to your brain that way, and
drinking while driving has many other dangerous effects. As with everything
else, drink responsibly, and in moderation.
#6. People
are fat because they don’t exercise. While exercise is necessary to maintain
good health, the primary contributor to being overweight is poor diet. An
overweight person will have difficulty losing weight by exercise alone; a good
diet with decreased calories is also necessary. Genes also play a role. That doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise if you want to lose weight--but make sure you also change your diet.
#7.
Birth control/HPV vaccine/etc leads to more sex. A myth like is testament to
people using anything as “research” to support their views. It’s hard to
imagine that anyone will choose to have more sex because they have better
information and a few shots in their arm. A better way to think about this is
that people are going to be sexually active anyway. Why not empower them with
information to make good choices (i.e. birth control and sex education)? The
HPV vaccine can guard against cervical cancer; why not protect our young?
#8. Women
need annual pap smears starting from age 18. This used to be the case, but the
guidelines have been revised such that it’s recommended for women to get pap
smears every three years, starting from three years after they begin sexual
intercourse. This doesn’t mean that you should only see your doctor every three
years; an annual woman’s visit is beneficial for a number of reasons, including
checking up on your health in general and addressing other aspects of your
sexual health.
Many
of these myths are partially based on the truth; that’s why it’s so hard to
sort them out. Yet, they have been proven time and time again, with a variety
of scientific studies, to not be true.
Do
you agree? Disagree? Have other myths that you want to share? Please write your
comments below! I would love to hear from you.
