Here’s a universal truth: you probably worry too much. So many of the scary scientific stories we see every day about the health effects of this or that food, the dangers of this or that chemical, or the long-term consequences of this or that parenting technique are based on weak evidence and poor quality materials. research.
Once you see what the evidence actually says, much of the worry can be put aside. With that in mind, here’s a list of a few topics where people’s fears far outweigh the evidence.
Upbringing
There are two things you need to know about the science of parenting. First of all, almost none of this exists. Anyone who tells you something specific about specific things you should do as a parent, whether you breastfeed or not; bottle sterilization; Place the baby in the tummy position; sleep training; music lessons; and much more – exaggerates the evidence. In the vast majority of cases, no one has researched this properly.
Second, the evidence we have points to an encouraging conclusion: except in cases of genuine neglect or abuse, there is not particularly strong evidence that “parenting styles” matter in the long term. Studies of twins and other siblings show that children within the same family differ from each other for reasons unrelated to parenting. This confirms many anecdotal experiences of parents when, at the birth of their second child, they discover that the baby’s personality is very different from that of their sibling.
Best advice: Raising children is hard enough without worrying that every decision you make will irrevocably shape your child’s personality. Don’t worry too much and enjoy watching them grow into the person they were always meant to be.
Screen time
It’s easier to worry about things we have personal experience with. And since many of us spend all day looking at screens (whether at work, play, or both), it’s natural to wonder if it could be causing us or our children serious harm. It’s not hard to find claims online that time spent in front of a screen, be it video games, social media, or just computer use in general, has a disastrous effect on well-being.
However, if you zoom out and look at the evidence as a whole, you will find many very high-quality studies that find no impact of screen time or changes such as social media use on mental health. This debate is not over yet, and more and more studies are being added. But at least the fact that scientists are having such a hard time getting to the bottom of this debate should ease your fears.
Ideal Diet
Doctors talk about “anxious people”—people who are perfectly healthy but (among other things) neurotic about what they eat and therefore susceptible to the latest fads and criticisms in the food world. Are you eating too much “ultra-processed food” (one of the biggest buzzwords of 2023)? Do you eat the latest, very specific amount of plants of questionable origin each week?
The secret to it all—one that won’t sell many books or food trends, but remains true—is that the old advice about eating a balanced, varied diet and avoiding too many calories accounts for 99 percent of what everyone eats. what you need to know about nutrition.
Nutritional supplements and vitamins
Just as they panic about the details of their diet, “worried people” also buy a lot of nutritional supplements. Are you really reaching your full potential if you’re not taking a ton of pills and capsules every morning?
If there is a significant deficiency (such as iron), taking supplements may make sense. However, if you eat a balanced diet, taking vitamins or most other supplements is unlikely to provide any health benefits: your body will simply eliminate them like other waste, and you will be wasting your money.
Vitamin D is a good example: after years of claims that it can reduce cancer and alleviate other health problems, higher-quality studies have shown that, to quote a major review from last year, “vitamin D supplements affect rich people.” [that is, people who already get enough of it from their diet] has no proven health benefits” (and despite claims that vitamin D could help prevent COVID during the pandemic, that hasn’t happened either). Save money: Don’t worry about buying supplements.
Sleep
Books like Matthew Walker’s. Why do we sleep flying off the shelves because they claim that most of what ails us comes from not getting eight hours of sleep every night. But books like this exaggerate it: yes, sleep is important, but not only do people differ in the amount of sleep they need, but the eight-hour “rule” is just a rule of thumb. Six or seven hours is often fine, but sleeping more than eight hours is often a sign of poor health.
Chemicals
Every now and then, alarming new research comes along that sparks media interest in a previously unknown type of chemical. There has been a massive panic recently about phthalates and so-called “forever chemicals” that are said to affect male and female fertility.
Maybe. But the evidence is extremely weak. Every time I have examined studies that claim the effects of fertility, I have found that they have significant flaws that obscure the often compelling conclusions.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t keep an eye on these things. Just look at the stories of leaded gasoline and asbestos: two chemicals that were once considered safe and have been shown to have significant impacts on human health. But we shouldn’t worry about these chemicals until we have much better evidence than a few preliminary studies.
Don’t worry (so much)
Of course, there are real things to worry about in the world: climate change; proliferation of nuclear weapons; a rogue artificial intelligence that turns us all into a giant pile of paperclips. But these are things you probably don’t have much control over. When it comes to specific aspects of life, such as diet, sleep, and how you raise your children, much of the anxiety is alleviated when you see how much of the news is exaggerated.
Sensational publications in the media, the Internet and popular science books get a lot of clicks and make people a lot of money. It’s always good to stay informed, but sometimes the best option is to do your best to enjoy life without letting it be clouded by excessive fears and worries.
Source: I News
With a background in journalism and a passion for technology, I am an experienced writer and editor. As an author at 24 News Reporter, I specialize in writing about the latest news and developments within the tech industry. My work has been featured on various publications including Wired Magazine and Engadget.