Health Claims and Grounds Flashcards
We are responsible for our health…
Lack of sleep leads to obesity, especially for children.
What are the grounds?
Researchers have found a link between a lack of sleep and increased levels of obesity. Apparently, a lack of sleep affects levels of the hormones ghrelin and leptin. This, in turn, leads to an increased appetite. Also, when people are tired during the day they are less likely to exercise.
We are responsible for our health…
Watching a lot of television can lead to obesity.
What are the grounds?
Researchers have found a link between watching too much television and increased levels of childhood obesity. In fact, excessive viewing is considered just as bad as a poor diet in terms of obesity. Apparently, if all children simply cut down to less than two hours a day, obesity rates could be cut by about 15%. The reason for the link may be the fact that children are not exercising when watching television, and that they tend to eat more when in front of the screen.
We are responsible for our health…
Watching too much television can make a child more likely to take up smoking.
What are the grounds?
This may be due to embedded advertising of cigarettes or due to following the norms of movies and programmes. It is still common for a hero to be a smoker in modern shows.
We are responsible for our health…
Watching too much television can affect a child’s education levels.
What are the grounds?
Studies have linked excessive television viewing with lower results at school. In fact, the more you watch, the less likely you are to leave school without a qualification.
We are not responsible for our health….
Some “national” diets are unhealthy.
What are the grounds?
In some countries, the diet can consist of large amounts of fried and sugary foods. It can also focus on “empty” calories such as fried noodles or rice. My own country, Brunei, has just such a diet with a focus on fried chicken or fish, fried noodles and spring rolls, and sugary drinks. It is very hard to eat differently from “the crowd”.
We are not responsible for our health….
Our education levels affect our health.
What are the grounds?
There is a direct link between one’s education level and one’s state of health. In fact, it has a stronger influence on health than income, occupation, and access to health care. Factors outside our control such as our home and social environment are major influences on how well we do at school.
We are not responsible for our health….
Our social status affects our health.
What are the grounds?
Having a high social status is correlated with better health outcomes. In animal studies, “alpha” status rats suffer fewer coronary blockages than “low status” rats. For humans, stress levels and social standing are directly connected.
We are not responsible for our health….
Advertising pressure has a large effect on our health.
What are the grounds?
Companies directly target consumers with advertisements for unhealthy foods. They advertise so much because, to some extent, their efforts pay off. That is, we cannot fully “protect” ourselves from the targeted advertising efforts of companies. With children, for example, sugary foods are placed at eye level near the checkout of supermarkets - to create maximum demand.
We are not responsible for our health….
Children cannot be held responsible for their state of health.
What are the grounds?
Parents must be held responsible for ensuring their children get sufficient sleep, don’t watch too much television, and have good diets. Children cannot be expected to exert self-control in these areas nor can they be expected to know what is good for them.
We are not responsible for our health….
Parents cannot always be held responsible for their children’s state of health.
What are the grounds?
Parents can ensure their children get sufficient sleep, don’t watch too much television, and have good diets. However, in order to do so, they need to be aware of the dangers of poor sleep and too much television. Parents require the support of society in order to make proper choices for their children.
