In the Sunday Magazine of the New York Times, there is a great article titled “Do We Really Know What Makes Us Healthy?” The article is a must read for anyone who wants to better understand epidemiology, its impact on public policy and how studies are often misinterpreted and erroneously become accepted health and lifestyle recommendations.
The article discusses the ongoing study and testing of factors that improve and harm health. Each “bit” of research is incremental and must be taken in context of previous research and these bits must hold up to future research that vigorously tests today’s conclusions.
However, all too often that research is highlighted in the media and the specifics of the study are blurred so that the conclusions are more “hard hitting” for the sake of a story. Over and over, we hear stories on the nightly news such as “Coming up next… a new study that promises a diet to get rid of those extra pounds!” or “Find out how doctors are promising better health without any exercise.”
The problem is that the media takes results from initial or observational studies as written in stone. One recommendation made by experts in the article is to flat out ignore all news and breakthroughs if they are the first report of that subject. That way, there is more time for other research to be conducted on the “breakthrough” to verify whether we should listen to it. So while we are ignoring what is coming out in the news, magazines and online, what are we supposed to do?
Stick to the basics of healthiness which have proven to be effective: exercise regularly, eat and sleep well, keep a good work/life/fun balance and try to avoid the obvious “no-no’s” like smoking and excessive drinking.
Link to New York Times Magazine article
Posted by Anil 
