Health myths

1. Discuss the questions.

• When was the last time you were ill?
• How did you feel?
• What did you do to feel better?

2. Read some myths about illnesses and focus on the underlined words.

Chicken soup will help you to recover from the flu.

Yes, it can help to calm down the pain in your throat because it’s hot, but it is not
a cure for the flu. The soup does not have any ingredients that can kill the virus.

Stress is not a serious problem. All you need is time and it will disappear.
Some stress can be good and you can deal with it quite easily: breathe deeply,
focus on the moment, and look at the situation differently. But too much stress
can make us ill. If someone is stressed for a long time, they can have symptoms
such as headaches, problems with sleep, depression, upset stomach and many
more. If someone does not want to feel stressed, they may need to make some
changes in their life and behaviour.

If you are cold, you’ll catch a cold.

If you’re outside where the temperature is low this does not mean that the next
day you will be sneezing (achoo!), coughing (hack-hack) and lying in bed with a
fever, sore throat and runny nose. In fact, being in the cold air for some time can
make your health stronger. Being cold is not the reason why people catch a cold,
there are germs (small organisms that can start an illness) that really cause it.

You should eat three times a day to stay healthy.

Eating three times a day is not a rule. How many meals you need depends on
your day: when you wake up and go to bed, how active you are, what you prefer
to eat – traditional meals or snacks. Three meals is just a recommendation:
people need about 2,000–2,500 calories per day, so if you spread this across
everything you eat during the day, you will not eat too much or too little. When you
have an injury (for example, you have broken your leg), it’s extra important that
you have a well-balanced diet and don’t eat less or more than usual.

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 Health myths

Only people with depression can’t sleep.

Anyone can have insomnia. Insomnia can happen because your life is changing
and you are worried, or because you have started taking different medication and
your body is reacting differently, or because you are ill or weak. If you have
insomnia for a long time, this can make it harder to focus or remember things, or
even cause depression. It’s better to see a doctor and get some medical advice.

3. Match the underlined words from the text with the corresponding pictures.

cough sneeze flu fever runny nose

symptoms insomnia injury upset stomach sore throat

4. Complete the gaps with the words from ex. 3.

a) Oh no, I ate too much fatty food. Now I have an upset stomach.
b) This is the fourth night I haven’t been able to get to sleep. I have insomnia.
c) My head is so hot, I can’t touch it. I am sure I have a fever. Because of this flu,
I also have a sore throat and can’t talk.
d) I think I have an allergy to cats. Every time there is a cat in the room, I sneeze.
e) Could you buy me drops and tissues, please? I have a runny nose.
f) I'm not feeling well. The symptoms I have are: headache, fever and sore
throat. I think I have flu.
g) Our best player will not be able to play in the match. He has an injury.
h) I caught a cold, and now I cough all the time. My throat hurts. I think I need
some warm milk with honey to help with the pain.

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 Health myths

5. Cover the texts in ex. 2 and discuss the questions.

• Look at the list below. What myths did you read about these things?
o chicken soup Eating chicken soup does not cure the flu.
o stress Stress can make people ill. It can cause symptoms such as
headaches, problems with sleep, depression, upset stomach, and many
more.
o cold If you are outside in cold weather, this does not mean that you will
catch a cold.
o three meals a day You don’t have to eat three times a day. If you think
about how active you are and how you like to eat your food, you will
understand how many meals you need.
o insomnia Insomnia can be caused by different things, not only by
depression, but also because of changes in life, injuries, new medication,
etc.
• Were you surprised by any of them?
• Can any of the myths be dangerous? Why?

6. Discuss the questions.

• How can someone make their life less stressful?
• What do you do when you are stressed?
• What do you do when you can’t fall asleep?
• What do you do when you have flu?
• What are some other health myths that you often hear?

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 Health myths

7. Look at the pictures and discuss the questions.

• How are these things related to health? In your opinion, do these things really
help people to be healthier? How?
Possible answers:
Watching something funny can make you less stressed, make your heart
healthier, fight depression.
Taking cold showers is good for you. Cold showers can actually help make
you stronger and get ill less.
Having friends makes you happier and less stressed. Old people with friends
have better memories and live longer. Friendship is also good for your heart.
Green tea is a super drink that will improve your health. It has many benefits,
such as helping you live longer, burning fat, helping your brain work better,
slowing aging.
• Do you do any of these things?

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