Little Known Health Facts

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by Jayaram V

There are many mysteries and fascinating facts about our health. The following are a few not so well known facts about our physical and mental health.

1. Self-control is a limited resource: Research done by Roy Baumeister and his colleagues at Florida State University suggests that the more you use up self-control to control a particular activity or behavior the less you will be left with to use it for another activity. Thus, for example if you practice self-control in dieting, you may be less inclined to use it in doing exercise.

2. We cannot easily estimate our ability to self-control: Research done by psychologist Loren Nordgren of Northwestern University shows that we tend to overestimate our ability to control our desires when we are in a satisfied state. Thus for example, after eating a full meal we may presume that we have the better ability to control our diet than when we are hungry. The same applies to other desires. This is called restraint bias.

3. Dogs may save you a trip to a therapist: An Italian study conducted in 2010 on elderly inpatients suffering from mental disorders including dementia and psychosis suggests that they showed a promising improvement after six months of interaction with dogs. Pet owners vouch that dogs can really improve your mood and make you feel positive as they show unconditional love and prefer to stay near you and show you their love.

4. Hospitals can make a difference: Studies show that the architectural design of a hospital can directly influence your immune system and recovery. It is found that inpatients who have window view, lot of light, and quiet rooms are likely to recover faster than those who are kept in rooms without windows or who are housed in old fashioned hospitals with grim corridors. Having access to outdoors, quiet areas and gardens can contribute to better and faster recovery.

5. Belief and expectation can make a big difference: Studies prove that your belief and expectation about a particular medicine, treatment, doctor or recovery can have a powerful positive influence upon your treatment and recovery. Alternatively, if you believe that a particular treatment is not going to work can lead to negative effects. These are called placebo and nocebo effects respectively. Therefore, it is important how you feel about your doctor, treatment, health, and recovery.