Gigacalculator surveyed 2,424 British consumers with a survey that comprised the most common health myths available to read online requiring respondents to select the myths they believe in most.
Below are the top 20 and the results may surprise you
| Rank | Health “Myth” | % |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sitting too close to the TV will damage your eyes | 62 |
| 2 | Eating before drinking keeps you sober | 55 |
| 3 | Low-fat foods are better for your health | 38 |
| 4 | Eating before bed makes you overweight | 33 |
| 5 | You need to wait one hour after eating to swim | 26 |
| 6 | Eating too many carrots turns your skin orange | 24 |
| 7 | Hair and nails keep growing after death | 20 |
| 8 | ‘Pulling out’ is a form of contraception | 20 |
| 9 | Bottled water is better for you than tap | 19 |
| 10 | Sugar and chocolate are aphrodisiacs | 14 |
| 11 | Eating a lot of carrots gives you great night vision | 14 |
| 12 | You can cure a hangover by drinking more | 14 |
| 13 | You can’t get pregnant on your period | 14 |
| 14 | Sperm is good for your skin | 14 |
| 15 | It takes 7 years to digest chewing gum | 12 |
| 16 | Wet hair causes colds | 12 |
| 17 | Cheese gives you nightmares | 12 |
| 18 | An apple a day keeps the doctor away | 5 |
| 19 | People get warts from frogs and toads | 5 |
| 20 | Coffee stunts your growth | 2 |
The Highlights:
Gigacalculator found the common health myth Brits believe in most is ‘sitting too close to the TV will damage your eyes’, at 62%. While it’s true to say concentrating on a screen for hours can lead to eyestrain, watching TV, even closely, will not damage your eyesight. However, it is recommended that you keep the room well-lit and take screen breaks.
While over half of Brits (55%) think ‘eating before drinking keeps you sober.’
‘Low-fat foods are better for your health’ is third on the myth list but be cautious. If a food label reads “low-fat” or “reduced fat”, it should contain less fat, but that doesn’t automatically make it healthier. Some low-fat options may also contain high levels of sugar and other substitutes.
Worryingly, 2 in 10 (20%) of Brits believe ‘pulling out’ is a form of contraception, while a further 14% think ‘you can’t get pregnant on your period.’ In fact, the latter is a common fertility myth and it’s true the odds for pregnancy are lower on your period, but they aren’t zero! It is advised to use effective contraception, such as the pill or condoms, to avoid pregnancy. Never rely on myth.
Comparably, Brits are less likely to believe myths like ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ (5%), ‘people get warts from frogs and toads’ (5%) and ‘coffee stunts your growth’, at 2%.