Conflicting information about how to stay healthy abounds. A very few examples include the following:

• · Drinking red wine may have health benefits for the heart…this year.

• · Smoking may be harmful to your health…finally.

• · Pregnant women should not drink any alcohol because there is no known safe level of alcohol intake for the safe of the fetus. Yet, one OB doctor told a neighbor to reduce her stress and get a good night’s sleep with a glass of wine before bed each night

Other questions that I am often asked include:

• How much is “social drinking”? How much is too much?
• Is tobacco use really that bad?
• Is being overweight really that dangerous? Why? How much is too much to weigh? How can I know what my weight should be? Should I go by the charts from the life insurance companies or should I use the BMI?
• Which diet is really the best for losing weight and maintaining that weight loss?
• What about all the weight loss products on the market? Are they equally safe? How do you decide what is right for you?
• Do I really have to avoid all fast food? Is there any fast food that would be okay to choose?

We can see how widely the pendulum swings in the following examples of advice given and reversed in the last few decades:

 

• Eggs are good for you…eggs are bad for you
• Running is good exercise…walking is better for more people….
• Any exercise is better than none….if you don’t break a sweat, the exercise does not count.

Have you ever wondered how to sort out the conflicting information that you hear about what you should be doing to be “healthy”? There is probably someone out there willing to argue on either side of any given controversy.

 

Who are you to believe? How can you weigh the “evidence” provided? How can you make a wise decision?

 

The first question to ask when you hear a “fact” that is in direct conflict with what you “know” is “What is the source?” After all, if the information is provided on a Saturday morning cartoon, or from your 4-year-old neighbor, you would probably disregard the tidbit of information due to its source, right? So, stop for a moment and ask yourself, “Does this information fit with what I already know?”

 

If the information does not fit what you already know, you owe it to yourself to find out more about the topic, the source, etc. Ask questions, read the article in greater detail, look it up online or at the library yourself. Do not simply accept what is said without thinking about it first.

 

After all, no one is as interested in protecting you, your interests, and your health and wellness as much as you are, right? Next time you hear something that sounds remarkable or amazing, give it some thought and look into it a bit more. You might be amazed to find out that it is, or is not, true! Either way, you will have a more complete answer.

 

Next Time: Living Healthy in Today’s World—Six Steps