Parents and children frequently spend extended periods together during school holidays or weekends. While this might seem like a cause for celebration, it’s not always welcomed by the kids. The more time they spend with adults, the more they’re subjected to their so-called wisdom:
Slouching makes the back appear curved or hunched, reading in the dark is bad for the eyes and if you swallow chewing gum it gets stuck in your stomach for years.
Are these all myths or is there some truth to them?
Myth or fact? If you swallow chewing gum, it gets stuck in your stomach.
Verdict: This common notion turns out not to be true.
The facts: We’ve all been there: You’re chewing a piece of gum and suddenly, by accident, you swallow it. There is a common notion that it gets stuck in the stomach and even stays there for seven years.
The German Society for Digestive and Metabolic Disorders (DGVS) gives the all-clear: “Chewing gum doesn’t get stuck to the teeth or the esophagus or the wall of the stomach if you swallow it. Nor does it later on get stuck in the intestine,” explains doctor and DGVS spokesperson Birgit Terjung.
But why not? After all, you can stick chewing gum under your desk at school, and it’s not easy to get out of your hair either. “The mucous membranes in the digestive tract are covered with a film of fluid, preventing the gum from sticking,” Terjung explains.
The digestible components are broken down by acid and enzymes – and do not get stuck in the stomach. The chewing gum base, which is indigestible and is what makes the gum so sticky and rubbery, ends up being passed out at the other end.
Myth or fact? Crossing your eyes can make you permanently cross-eyed.
Verdict: This is a myth, and is not true.
The facts: Children like to make faces, which often includes crossing their eyes. But those who are really cross-eyed can’t just control it. Strabismus is usually a permanent or recurring misalignment of one or both eyes, the German Association of Ophthalmologists (BVA) writes. One eye is turned in a direction that’s different from the other eye. Being cross-eyed isn’t just a cosmetic issue, it’s also often associated with severe visual impairment.
“A temporary, deliberate, conscious, strained crossing of the eyes can result in double vision, but generally doesn’t result in permanent damage,” ophthalmologist Horst Helbig from the Regensburg University Hospital says. In addition, it’s common for babies’ eyes to cross or wander during the first six months of their lives. If a child continues to cross their eyes after this, however, they should be taken to an ophthalmologist as soon as possible, says Helbig. If not, irreversible visual impairment may develop.
For us to be able to see three-dimensionally, both eyes must be looking at the same spot. According to the BVA, this creates a slightly different image in each eye. These two images then merge in the brain to form a single visual impression.
For cross-eyed people, the visual axes do not meet at the same point. “The difference between the two images the eyes provide becomes too great. They can no longer properly align in the brain,” the BVA explains. As a result, spatial perception is not possible and those affected see annoying double images.
Myth or fact? Reading in the dark is bad for the eyes.
Verdict: True.
The facts: Despite it being bedtime, your child doesn’t want to go to sleep just yet – the chapter in the book they’re reading is unputdownable. They secretly crawl under the bedspread and continue reading with a flashlight. Reading in the dark or in poor light is said to be bad for the eyes. And it’s not just a myth, it turns out. “Reading in poor light is considered a risk factor in developing short-sightedness, or making it worse,” Helbig says.
In a study conducted by the Queensland University of Technology in 2014, researchers came to the following conclusion: children who spend more time outdoors in bright light have better eyesight than those who spend more time indoors. These children are then usually short-sighted.
Myth or fact? Slouching gives you a crooked back.
Verdict: False.
The facts: Children and teenagers like to slouch. Sitting or standing casually or at an angle looks cooler than keeping your back straight. But does slouching really give you a crooked back or even a hunchback? No, says Bernd Kladny, General Secretary of the German Society for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery (DGOU). “I think someone has to slouch or sit ‘wrong’ for a long time and a lot to end up with a crooked back. It won’t happen from slouching for an afternoon while doing your homework.”
To prevent back problems, good posture is not necessarily the most important thing. It’s more about getting enough exercise and incorporating that into your everyday life, says Kladny. “Humans are made for walking, not for sitting around all day.” Muscles are needed for stabilizing the spine, which is why exercise is so important. The idea of sitting and standing upright all the time is something we need to move away from.
