HEALTH NOTES: Bogus online profiles damage mental health

Only a quarter of Britons say that their social media profiles portray a true reflection of themselves.

Experts have long warned that the doctored selfies posted to Instagram, TikTok and others harm mental health as they promote unrealistic lifestyles.

Now a survey of 2,000 social media users aged 18 to 65, by drinks brand G’Vine, has revealed that just one in four people say their profiles reflect reality.

Data from January, compiled by charity Stem4, also revealed that eight in ten young people aged between 18 and 21 dislike their bodies. The researchers blamed the results on social media, arguing that it ‘presents a supposed reality that is distorted and harmful’.

Is your pet getting you down?

Pets won’t necessarily boost mental health, a study suggests.

Previous research has found that people with pets are less likely to suffer mental health problems. However, analysts from the University of York compared the symptoms in 170 British mental health patients with and without pets – and found no difference. In fact, they noted having a pet was linked with greater mental health decline during Covid-19 lockdowns.

Co-author Dr Elena Ratschen said owning a pet may have exacerbated financial concerns.

Sitting on a vibrating chair could help treat high blood pressure.

Scientists have previously found that repeated head movements can lower blood pressure, as fluids inside the brain shift, interfering with molecules on the surface of brain cells that control blood pressure.

Researchers from the National Rehabilitation Centre for Persons with Disabilities in Japan asked 30 volunteers with moderately high blood pressure to sit on a chair that uses vibrations to jolt the body. They sat on it for 30 minutes three times a week for a month.

Results showed a significant fall in systolic and diastolic blood pressures. The scientists plan to test the chair further for older people who cannot exercise.

ONE in five young festival-goers never wash their hands after using toilets at outdoor events, a poll has discovered. So it’s no wonder that a third of the 1,500 18- to 24-year-olds polled also reported catching a virus at a festival.

Three-quarters go at least a day without washing their hands and one in ten said they’d picked up other types of infections such as conjunctivitis.

When asked why they dodged the sinks, by cleaning brand Method, respondents blamed a lack of washing facilities, queues and getting caught up in the music.