Fear Factor/Reality Check

Posted by: Janet on: June 5th, 2006  »  2 comments

Recently, there was an interesting article in the National Post with the headline reading “People worry about disasters, but actually die of chronic diseases, psychologists say.” It reported that disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes, along with exotic diseases, carry “psychological tonnage” because they’re dramatic and are easily imagined by the mind. In short, the writer said that we worry about things we can’t control, yet we actually have more to fear from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Those are a lot more likely to kill us, although we do exercise a great degree of control over them through the lifestyle decisions we make every day.

At the end of May, there was also a National Post article in which one of the world’s leading epidemiologists discussed the widespread fears of a bird flu pandemic. Although not trying to dismiss the severity of this issue, this fellow (whose name I don’t recall) went on to say that “the most serious damage that will come from chickens will be from the fried variety.”

All of this reminds me of something that I wrote in Eat, Shrink and Be Merry!. It’s worth repeating, I think. In case you don’t have this book yet (shame on you!) or in case you do own it but haven’t memorized evey page yet (shame on you!), here’s a little excerpt for you:

We’re scared. We’re really scared. We’re afraid of pollution in our air, chemicals in our water, germs in our food, mysterious new viruses, and dangers that might be lurking in power lines and cell phones. Perhaps some of these fears are justified. But more often than not, our perceptions of risk don’t always match reality. We worry ourselves sick over SARS, yet smoke a pack a day. We scale back on fish because the morning paper talks of toxins in our waters–yet we scarf down two donuts and a large coffee while reading the headlines. The only time we break a sweat is when we swat frantically at mosquitoes. Honestly! What’s more likely to kill us: West Nile Virus or being overweight and sedentary? Scientists are still trying to come to grips with the risks presented by modern life, but this much is already known: Smoking can truly kill you. Eating too much and exercising too little is a lethal combination. The bottom line is this: Yes, wash your hands often, swat those mosquitoes, and don’t talk on your cell phone while lying in a tanning bed, but keep your perspective. Focus on lowering the truly big health risks, put your butts out, and get your butt moving!

Comments (2)

  1. Reply

    Ola S. | February 1, 2010 at 12:45 am →

    I was digging through your blog archives and thought this was an interesting one to re-read… Despite the fact that you wrote this entry almost 3 years ago, it’s amazing how pertinent it still is. I feel like now more than ever, we’re living in a culture of fear. With all the natural disasters that are occuring around the world, and with a new epidemic/pandemic breaking out every season (or so it seems), people are weary of leaving their homes, interacting with others, and doing anything else that might put them at any sort of “risk”. (I myself am definitely guilty of this.)
    But it’s so difficult to make rational decisions (and understandably so) when we’re bombarded with so much media hype at every turn; it whips people into an unnecessary frenzy, but once you’re sucked in, it’s hard to see beyond it. That’s what makes all of this so frustrating: people want to stay informed, but knowing too much, in this case, can actually be a hazard in itself – especially if the information is overblown…. With nothing but bad news coming at them, how can people be happy and optimistic? It’s really unfortunate, but not surprising (that people are pessimistic, scared, sad, etc.)
    Anyway, I think you’re right – keeping things in perspective is so important (albeit challenging). If we focus on keeping ourselves properly nourished, keeping our immune systems strong, and taking the best care of ourselves that we can (in ways that we CAN control) then our bodies will be armed and ready to ward off both serious diseases as well as whatever the latest ‘illness of the season’ happens to be. Then maybe we can relax a little and focus on the lighter things in life for a moment – the things that bring us joy and make life worth living – which in itself helps protect us from disease, doesn’t it? So it’s a win-win stuation! :)

    (Sorry, I rambled on for quite a bit there so I hope it all makes some sort of sense!)

  2. Reply

    Janet Podleski | February 1, 2010 at 11:17 am →

    Well-said, Ola!

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