There are many things that are detrimental to our health, such as spending too many hours by the computer and too few exercising, for instance. But nowadays, people are quite aware of what can negatively affect their well-being, whether they do something about it or not.
Some things can take their toll on a person without them even realizing, though. Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community recently discussed the topic after a redditor asked them what is something super detrimental to one’s health that most people don’t realize. Quite a few netizens shared their thoughts on the matter, covering everything from shoes to bosses, and beyond, so scroll down to find them and see what other surprising things can be more dangerous than you would think.
#1
Poverty.
Now of course we all know poverty isn't good for anyone but even now, I don't think we as a society realize just how bad it is.
It backs you into so many corners concerning your health. Worse food, less time for exercise, more stress in life, less money to address physical issues, it keeps you stuck in toxic environments (both mentally and physically).
It's just a lot of negative compounding interest.
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176points
#3
For the love of God drink some plain water and eat some vegetables...signed your x-ray tech & physicians lol.
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96points
#4
Losing a pet, 100%. Definitely not at all taken as seriously as other familial losses, and it should be. It can take a serious toll on your mental health AND physical health.
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95points
#5
Comparing yourself to people. It's terrible for your mental health.
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91points
#6
Not brushing and flossing as often as you should. It’s not an aesthetic reason. Bad dental hygiene can kill.
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71points
#8
Shift work. Nights, followed by lates, followed by earlies. Physiologically so destructive.
I work for the emergency services so it's essential 24/7. The management are pretty good but we've been shafted on pay at a national level. Still attritional on the body.
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66points
#9
Short videos epidemic and almost every popular app/website has them now. Watching endless short videos of 10 seconds or less really messes up our attention span. Especially for children in their development stage.
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62points
#10
Not sleeping enough, working too much.
No, drinking gallons of coffee will not counteract the negative effects caused by these, neither will oversleeping on weekends.
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59points
#14
Ongoing, chronic stress. It has physical effects that vary from person to person ranging from chronic sleeplessness, obesity, heart conditions and even death. A person's ability to adapt and be resilient is impaired. The motto of 'that which does not kill you makes you stronger,' is wrong and dangerous.
And yet we all go about our lives like chronic stress is a normal, laudable part of the human condition.
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49points
#18
If you do a lot of sitting (like a desk job or a lot of commuting or trucking) and keep your wallet in your back pocket, you're going to f**k up your spine.
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40points
#19
Trauma. It’s stored in our body and can cause detrimental damage physically and mentally. Feel free to look up studies.
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40points
#20
Painting without a respirator on.
We get memoriam emails anytime somebody in our union dies. EVERY PAINTER DIES IN THEIR FORTIES OR FIFTIES! And yet, none of them are wearing respirators. wtf.
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40points