Why is it that when it comes to health there is so much conflicting information? Why is it so hard for people who are trying to take an active role in their health to get the right information?
There are two major problems with the way we are doing our health research that is leading to fundamental flaws in the answers that are being provided.The first problem is that we are simply asking the wrong questions. One of the main reasons for this is the reductionistic way that a lot of our research is conducted. I came across a classic example of this the other day. A study had come out that had shown that things like alcohol or mobile phones did not significantly increase the chance of cancer and so should not be worried about in terms of cancer risk. What was the question that they asked? Not 'Are mobile phones good for your health?', but 'Do mobile phones by themselves cause a statistically significant increase in the cancer rates?'
The reason that this is important is that it doesn't take into account what happens if you are exposed to more than one of these stressors. It also doesn't take into account the risks of any other health conditions.
People's bodies are a complex ecosystem that has many, many variables. It simply doesn't make sense to take out all of these variables and try to study one thing in isolation; our bodies simply don't work that way.
The second fundamental problem with the way we do research is that people are not required to publish all of their research. What this means is that if I am going to fund a study into my specific drug or therapy, I can undergo as many studies as I want, tweaking the question until I get the best 'results'. I can then publish the 'best' study only, chucking the rest in the bin.
This combination of asking the wrong questions and being selective with the answers means that virtually anything can be shown or 'proven'‚ not exactly a recipe for clear and concise answers that help to inform the public about what is healthy for their bodies.
Trying to keep up to date with the latest research and what it says you should do to create health is a never-ending task; especially when what we read is constantly changing and always saying different things. The best way to judge your health choices is based on what your body is designed to do; that is, to think, move and eat like our hunter-gatherer ancestors did.
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