Fact or Fiction?

Get the skinny on these six common health myths

BY KRYSTEN GODFREY MADDOCKS / ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN R. GOODWIN

Social media posts and well-meaning family members are often quick to share health tips that, at best, are misleading and, at worst, can be harmful.

Following such advice can have a significant impact on your health, leading you to avoid certain foods and practices — or even encouraging you to spend money on diets and gadgets that aren’t necessary.

Emily Thompson, a dietitian and bariatric coordinator at WentworthDouglass Hospital’s Center for Weight Management and Bariatric Surgery, shares her insights to debunk some common health misconceptions.

1. You should walk 10,000 steps a day to maintain good heart health. Thompson says: False. It’s a good start but may not be enough to gain cardiovascular benefits.

Many people focus on logging 10,000 steps a day, but that number could add up to less than we think it does. For sedentary people or those with health concerns, that number might not be attainable at all, and for those looking to lose weight or improve their cardiovascular health, it might not be enough, Thompson says.

For example, you could walk 10,000 steps daily, but you may only see cardiovascular benefits if you reach your target heart rate zone.

“The better recommendation is to instead follow the Center for Disease Control’s activity guidelines of getting 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity cardiovascular exercise per week,” she says. “It’s not just a matter of duration but also intensity. On a scale of 1 to 10 based on perceived exertion, you want to aim for a 6 or higher.”

Thompson says novice exercisers should aim for 10,000 steps, but should look to build upon their activity by adding in more intense exercise.

2. You should drink eight, 8-ounce glasses of water daily to stay hydrated. Thompson says: True. For most people, it’s a good rule of thumb.

Drinking 64 ounces of water (8 ounces, eight times a day) is a good idea for most people, although some people require less fluid due to medical conditions. Thompson says that for the most part, drinking 64 ounces of water daily hydrates you, but you should also pay attention to your body and adjust as needed.

“If it’s extremely hot outside and you are exercising, sweating or engaging in any sort of heavy breathing, you’re losing hydration,” she says. “So you’re definitely going to want to drink more than that, even during the winter.”

3. Muscle weighs more than fat. Thompson says: True, but more muscle = a faster metabolism.

In addition to cardiovascular exercise, it’s critical to engage in muscle-building activities — even if lifting weights adds a couple of extra pounds to your frame. People may see an initial increase in their weight when they begin weight training because muscle truly is heavier than fat. However, those with more muscle mass also burn more calories at rest, Thompson says.

“In our clinic, we have what is called an InBody machine that does body composition analysis. After our patients complete bariatric surgery, we use it to check their body composition,” she says. “And those who have a higher muscle mass truly do show a higher metabolic rate. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you need.”

When patients shed weight, they often lose muscle mass. To maintain it, you should aim to engage in strength training, varying muscle groups, a minimum of two days per week.

“You can start slow, using your body weight, by doing pushups, squats and strength exercises that are a little bit lower intensity,” she says. “As you become stronger, you can start using resistance machines, cables and free weights.”

4. If you want to lose weight, you shouldn’t eat anything after 7 p.m. Thompson says: False. The time you eat doesn’t affect your weight.

There’s no data that supports eating more calories at one time of the day results in weight gain, but Thompson says she sees a lot of patients struggle with eating at night out of boredom — the time of day when they are more apt to choose ice cream and sweets out of habit or boredom.

“There’s a place for eating after 7 p.m. if they are the right foods, especially for those who work second shift. If you have to eat

a later dinner, don’t skip your meal just because it’s after 7,” she says. “But if eating after 7 p.m. means snacking on the couch, I wouldn’t endorse that.”

5. Daily vitamins are necessary for good health. Thompson says: False, in most cases.

Supplements advertised online, in retail stores, and even by health organizations promise energy, youthfulness and protection from disease. But chances are, you don’t need to add extra vitamins to your diet, Thompson says. The supplement industry is not regulated by the Food and Drug Association and is loosely regulated — meaning companies can make broader claims about their effectiveness.

“This is a topic that is very sensitive to me. Excluding our bariatric patients who do need vitamins, for the most part, the general population does not need to take a multivitamin, assuming they are eating a good, healthy, balanced diet,” she says.

“There are studies that show that a multivitamin can be harmful to some people. It’s certainly something you’d want to talk to your doctor about, but it is not necessarily something that’s going to benefit you.”

The one vitamin you may lack is Vitamin D, as most people living in northern climates are deficient in this vitamin due to lack of sun exposure.

“You can certainly get tested for Vitamin D to find out what your level is, and that is a supplement that I would support if you have a deficiency. It’s not found in a lot of foods, so it’s important that we supplement that if it’s deficient,” she says. “Otherwise, nutrition deficiencies are not very common if you are eating a healthy, balanced diet. If you’re not eating a healthy diet, I would connect with a dietitian to ensure you are getting enough micronutrients.”

6. The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas and drinks cause cancer. Thompson says: False. It would be very difficult to ingest enough sugar replacements for it to have a carcinogenic effect.

There’s myriad of conflicting information on the internet about artificial sweeteners. If you pull FDA data and look at the safety level of these sweeteners, Thompson says it would take a very, very high level of consumption of nonnutritive sweeteners to exceed safety levels.

“Depending on the sweetener, you’d have to eat 50 or so packets per day for it to be harmful; it’s a very high threshold of safety. However, if you’re consuming them daily, I might suggest that you decrease your intake to using them once in a while,” she says.

If you prefer a sweetened beverage, Thompson suggests diluting water with Crystal Light rather than drinking regular or Diet Coke.

“There’s data that shows when people replace their Coke with Diet Coke, they may compensate for those calories elsewhere,” she says. “I’m not as concerned about artificial sweeteners potentially causing cancer as I am about the effects they might have on people cutting them back and then overcompensating with something else.”

It’s easy to buy into long-standing health advice. But before you tweak your diet or exercise routine — and pass misleading advice on to others — it’s crucial to separate fact from fiction. If you’re concerned about your nutrition and well-being, consult a registered dietitian or your primary health care provider.