The Top Five Health Myths
Separating Rumor From Fact
Jesse Jacobs
Issue date: 11/23/09 Section: Health
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Yes, everyone knows that water is healthy for the human body is healthy. This is not a shock article attempting to disprove that. The myth however is found in the number eight. Who came up with this number? What happens if you only drink seven glasses of water per day? What if you drink nine? Who is calling the shots here? In an article from CBS, Penn State doctor, Dr. Stanley Goldfarb stated, "If you're thirsty drink. If you're not thirsty, you needn't drink." The logic here is so simple it is mind numbing. The body is a well oiled machine, and it comes equipped with reflexes and mechanisms to inform a human being what it needs and doesn't need. Guilderland Saratoga Springs YMCA Personal Trainer, Chris Rivers agrees this is a myth. "Well water is essential to the everyday functioning of your body, so of course it's essential to drink it every day. The amount is pretty discretionary. The number eight is a good goal, sure. It is going to vary depending on the size of the person, or other beverages they drink over the course of a day. Remember, soda, coffee, and juice, contain water as well, even if they aren't the preferred choice." Nobody seems to know where the number eight came from. As previously mentioned, water is important to the human body, but drink it when you need it. Forcefully drinking water to the point of nausea isn't helping anyone.
Result: Myth busted, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't drink water !
Myth Number 4: Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis Seeing myth next to this statement is probably a great relief to many of you nervous knuckle crackers. This common habit has been painted as a sure fire way to get arthritis for years. M.D. Peter Bonafede, labels knuckle cracking as "neither harmful nor desirable." He makes light of the fact that little research is devoted to the effects of this age old habit. He mentions that while there is no known link to arthritis, you might want to play it safe and avoid it all together. M.D. John Cetner concurs with the opinion of Bonafade. "I have never heard of a legitimate condition as a result (or knuckle cracking), but that doesn't mean I'd encourage it." Much like the myth pertaining to eight glasses of water, this seemed to appear out of thin air. No one has ever proven that it causes arthritis, but likewise no one has ever proved it hasn't. Proceed with caution, but until further notice, temper your fears of arthritis.
Result: Myth Busted. The long term result of cracking your knuckles remains unknown.
Myth Number 3: The fastest way to lose weight is skip meals Especially in American society, people have the tendency to obsess over their weight. There are a variety of personal and media related reasons, that when piled up can force individuals to take drastic measures. It seems almost instinctive to say, "If I skip a meal, I will lose weight." Well according to M.D. John Cetner and Personal Trainer Chris Rivers this couldn't be further from the truth. "What people fail to realize is that skipping a meal slows down your metabolism," said Rivers. "Your body reacts as if you were starving and slows down your metabolism to conserve your nutrients to make up for the meal you just missed." Dr. Cetner pointed out that generally people make up for the meal they missed with their next one. "It (skipping a meal) usually leads to binge eating, often times on the very next meal," Center said. "People will eat more, because they are hungrier after skipping their meal. If someone is able to continuously skip meals without binge eating later on, it often leads to Anorexia or other complications, which is something different entirely." In summation, skipping meals is not only ineffective, but sometimes may lead to the opposite result. It can only lead to unhealthy habits and should be avoided.
Result: Myth Busted.
Myth Number 2: You can turn fat into muscle This is a common myth in the fitness world. In fact many people will tell you, "You have to have fat to build muscle." According to all circles of the health world, this is a physical impossibility. "Absolutely not," said trainer Rivers. "You have to lose fat, and build muscle through nutrition and exercise. Bodybuilders generally go through a bulking phase and a cutting phase. They will eat huge quantities of food while working out, and as a result gain a large amount of fat and muscle. The cutting phase comes after, and that is where they trim the fat." According to Personal Trainer, Matt Danielsson of Bodybuilding.com, fat and muscle are completely different entities. "Muscle is active tissue that burns calories….fat on the other hand is just a storage of excess energy." Scientifically fat and muscle are completely different types of tissue. This makes the myth that much more inexplicable. "If you could convert fat to muscle, don't you think most experts would be telling people to eat potato chips and pizza to start their diets?" Dr. Center said. "I'm definitely not telling you to do that."
Result: Myth Busted. Fat and muscle are created through entirely different processes.
Myth Number 1: You lose most of your heat through your head Can't you hear your mother now telling you to put on a hat? "You lose most of your heat through your head you know." Well folks as it turns out putting on a pair of gloves would prove equally effective. According to a U.S. army service manual in the 1970's, all soldiers should wear hats in temperatures at or below 45 degrees since "most of your heat is lost through the head." In a study done at Indiana University, it was found that the head, face, and chest are more sensitive to temperature changes than the rest of the body. This in turn creates the illusion that one is either colder or warmer when articles of clothing are removed from these parts. Dr. Bookspan of Temple University has determined that roughly one-fifth of the body's heat is lost through the head. This number is proportional with the rest of the body.
Result: Myth Busted. If you are going to wear a hat, cover everything else up as well.