Correlation Vs Causation in Health
Health and fitness are complicated subjects.
Health and fitness are important subjects though.
We carry our health with us everywhere we go, and it assists to perform successfully in any task we engage in.
But it's confusing.
Just like any other controversial subject, everyone has an opinion and a research study to back up their claim.
Everyday, scientists discover something new and a previous claim or decision is reversed.
One day, "x" food is good for you, and the next, that food is bad for you.
This happens over and over again, and I'd like to think that we are moving forward, slowly, but still moving forward.
One of the many reasons this occurs is the issue of correlation vs causation.
Correlation implies that two things are related in some form or another.
Causation implies that one thing causes another.
And when the phrase, correlation does not imply causation, is mentioned, it implies that just because two things may act a certain way together, it does not mean one causes another.
For instance, it's a very popular idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
The correlation vs causation relationship is present here because many studies claimed breakfast eaters have higher metabolisms.
But what wasn't discussed in these studies is that just because eating breakfast correlated with lower weight, it does not mean that eating breakfast results, or is the cause of, weighing less.
It could simply be that most people who skip breakfast are rushed for time, implying that whenever they do eat, it is also in a rush, and they must resort to fast food.
Eating fast food at every meal is a good weigh to add fat.
And it could be that, those who did eat breakfast, often had more time.
More time to cook means more time to eat healthier, and more time to exercise, a key proponent on the path to health.
The point of this writing is to show that correlation does not imply causation.
The point is that so next time when a study comes out, you are able to critically think and ask questions about the research that lead to the respective claim.
Health is an important subject and it is important to be able to dissect research and grab the points that matter for YOU.
And I do hope that one day we can enact and analyze research that gets past the point of observation and gets down to the physiology.
Health and fitness are important subjects though.
We carry our health with us everywhere we go, and it assists to perform successfully in any task we engage in.
But it's confusing.
Just like any other controversial subject, everyone has an opinion and a research study to back up their claim.
Everyday, scientists discover something new and a previous claim or decision is reversed.
One day, "x" food is good for you, and the next, that food is bad for you.
This happens over and over again, and I'd like to think that we are moving forward, slowly, but still moving forward.
One of the many reasons this occurs is the issue of correlation vs causation.
Correlation implies that two things are related in some form or another.
Causation implies that one thing causes another.
And when the phrase, correlation does not imply causation, is mentioned, it implies that just because two things may act a certain way together, it does not mean one causes another.
For instance, it's a very popular idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
The correlation vs causation relationship is present here because many studies claimed breakfast eaters have higher metabolisms.
But what wasn't discussed in these studies is that just because eating breakfast correlated with lower weight, it does not mean that eating breakfast results, or is the cause of, weighing less.
It could simply be that most people who skip breakfast are rushed for time, implying that whenever they do eat, it is also in a rush, and they must resort to fast food.
Eating fast food at every meal is a good weigh to add fat.
And it could be that, those who did eat breakfast, often had more time.
More time to cook means more time to eat healthier, and more time to exercise, a key proponent on the path to health.
The point of this writing is to show that correlation does not imply causation.
The point is that so next time when a study comes out, you are able to critically think and ask questions about the research that lead to the respective claim.
Health is an important subject and it is important to be able to dissect research and grab the points that matter for YOU.
And I do hope that one day we can enact and analyze research that gets past the point of observation and gets down to the physiology.
