|
A DOCTOR SPEAKS.
INTERVIEWER: Is it true that eating chocolate can give you
spots?
DOCTOR: Doctors believed that chocolate could give you acne right up until a
few years ago, but more recent research has shown that this is in fact not
the case. The only foods which seem to have a bad effect on the skin are
some dairy products, for example skimmed milk, and also shellfish and soy
sauce.
INTERVIEWER: Generations of parents have told their children to sit up
straight – and to be honest it drives me mad to see children slouching in
their chairs. But does it really do any damage?
DOCTOR: Well, the thing to realize is that
sitting with your shoulders back
and your back straight isn't actually a natural sitting position. That's why
it's so hard to maintain and why children are so reluctant to do it. The
latest research shows that sitting with a straight back can in fact cause
lower-back pain. The best position for your back is one where you're
reclining at an angle of 135 degrees, or to put it another way, more or less
as if you were sitting in a sunlounger by the swimming pool. OK, you can't
sit in a sunlounger all day, or at least most of us can't, but the
important thing when you're working is to try to lean back slightly rather
than sitting up straight.
INTERVIEWER: OK, last one. Are carrots good for eyesight? After all, you
never see a rabbit wearing glasses!
DOCTOR: Very true! Well, this belief seems to have originated during World
War II. British intelligence didn't want the enemy to know that they were
using radar to detect enemy bombers so they spread the rumour that they were
feeding their pilots carrots in order to improve their eyesight. The trouble
is the campaign was so successful people still believe it even today!
But in
fact there is some truth in this because carrots do contain a high
concentration of vitamin A, which is important for healthy eyesight, but an
extra helping on your plate won't actually improve your vision. |
