Maybe You Should Worry a Little More, Actually
Every couple of days there’s a news story with the latest scary thing. Flesh-eating bacteria. Human trafficking. Ebola. And yeah, there’s a reason they get the headlines. Those are some genuinely terrifying topics. But it’s also pretty unlikely you’ll ever deal with them.
At the same time, while you’re reassuring yourself about those rarities, there are some pretty mundane issues you probably aren’t worried about, but maybe should be. Here’s why:
Foodborne illness. Most of us have eaten questionable leftovers, left food sitting out a little too long or decided the chicken was probably cooked enough. Usually, we’re fine. But foodborne illness is incredibly common, causing millions of illnesses in the U.S. every year. And lately, it can feel like there’s a new recall every week between meat, produce, eggs, prepared foods and even products we don’t necessarily think of as risky.
Most cases mean a miserable day or two. But bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria and certain strains of E. coli can cause severe illness, hospitalization and, in some cases, death. Pregnant women, older adults, young children and people with weakened immune systems can be especially vulnerable. So yes, your refrigerator temperature, how long those leftovers have been sitting there and whether that chicken really reached a safe temperature may deserve more attention than they probably get.
Muscle and bone loss. This one is easy to file away under “things I’ll worry about when I’m old.” The problem is that by the time you’re old, you may have missed your best opportunity to do something about it.
We naturally lose muscle and bone as we age. Over time, that can mean less strength, worse balance and a greater risk of falls and fractures. And a serious fracture later in life isn’t always just an injury you recover from and move on. It can be the beginning of a major loss of mobility and independence.
The good news is that what you do decades earlier matters. Strength training, weight-bearing exercise, good nutrition and getting enough protein, calcium and vitamin D can all help protect the muscle and bone you’ll need later. Think less about looking strong now and more about being able to get off the floor, carry your own groceries and climb stairs when you’re 80.
Antibiotic resistance. This may be the biggest problem nobody talks about at dinner. Antibiotics transformed medicine, but bacteria adapt, and the more antibiotics are used, the more opportunities resistant bacteria have to survive and spread. We’re already seeing the consequences: some UTIs are resistant to commonly used drugs, MRSA is resistant to several antibiotics, and infections that should be simple to treat can sometimes require IV antibiotics or hospitalization.
That doesn’t mean antibiotics are bad. They’re lifesaving when you need them. But they don’t work against viruses, so taking them for a cold or the flu provides no benefit while still contributing to resistance. And the problem goes beyond your doctor’s office. Antibiotic use in agriculture also contributes to resistant bacteria, so it’s important to support efforts to reduce unnecessary use in people AND in agriculture.
None of these things requires panic, but they do require a little attention. Don’t get so distracted by the unlikely scenarios that you overlook the boring stuff that is much more likely to affect you.
Sometimes the things worth worrying about are also the things you can actually do something about today.