Health Reality Check

Cancer: bad luck, bad genes or bad environments? Is cancer mainly down to bad genes, bad luck or the environment around us? Why are alcohol and tobacco both classified as Group 1 carcinogens? And should we really be worried every time a new study makes the headlines? In this episode of Health Reality Check, family doctor Dr Margarida Santos speaks with Dr Harriet Rumgay, an epidemiologist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the WHO family. They explain how scientists investigate the causes of cancer, why a carcinogen classification doesn't tell us how big the risk is, and how to make sense of confusing health headlines. From coffee and ultra-processed foods to alcohol, tobacco and genetics, they explore what the evidence actually tells us. They also discuss why cancer prevention isn't simply about personal choices, and how the environments we live in can either increase our exposure to risk or help protect our health. Health Reality Check is WHO/Europe's podcast bringing together leading experts to explore today's biggest health questions and separate myths from evidence. Show notes / links IARC Monographs on the Identification of Carcinogenic Hazards to Humans IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention European Code Against Cancer WHO: Cancer fact sheet WHO/Europe: Alcohol WHO: Tobacco

Do you really need 10,000 steps a day? Is lifting weights better than cardio? And do you need expensive gym memberships, supplements and fitness trackers to stay healthy? In this episode of Health Reality Check, family doctor Dr Margarida Santos speaks with Dr Mike Banna, a UK-based GP and health content creator who challenges misleading fitness advice online. Drawing on his own journey from a sedentary lifestyle to becoming more physically active, Dr Mike explains why exercise is about much more than weight loss, how small changes can make a real difference, and why the best workout is often the one you can actually fit into your life. They unpack popular fitness myths, from fasted cardio to strength training, discuss how weight stigma and unrealistic expectations can undermine health, and explore why staying active shouldn't depend on having money, time or access to a gym. The key message? You don't have to do everything. Start with something. Health Reality Check is WHO/Europe's podcast bringing together leading experts to explore today's biggest health questions and separate myths from evidence. Show notes / links Learn more Physical activity and its health benefits WHO: Physical activity (fact sheet) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity WHO/Europe: Physical activity https://www.who.int/europe/health-topics/physical-activity WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128 WHO/Europe: Everyday actions for better health – WHO recommendations https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/everyday-actions-for-better-health-who-recommendations Physical activity and mental health WHO/Europe: Promoting mental health through cycling and walking: a win-win approach for health and sustainability (2026) https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2026-12905-52679-81719 WHO/Europe: Physical activity (fact sheet, including mental health and cognitive benefits) https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/fact-sheets/item/physical-activity Green spaces, walking and healthy environments WHO/Europe: Urban green spaces and health https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2016-3352-43111-60341 WHO/Europe: Improving health and well-being through nature https://www.who.int/europe/activities/improving-health-and-well-being-through-nature WHO/Europe: Assessing the value of urban green and blue spaces for health and well-being https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2023-7508-47275-69347 WHO/Europe: Nature-based solutions and health (2025) https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2025-12214-51986-79744 WHO/Europe: Promoting healthy active mobility https://www.who.int/europe/activities/promoting-healthy-active-mobility WHO/Europe: Let's Get Moving! 100 Reasons to Walk and Cycle More https://www.who.int/europe/event/let-s-get-moving%21-100-reasons-to-walk-and-cycle-more/ Making workplaces and meetings healthier WHO/Europe: Planning healthy and sustainable meetings: practical guide, third edition https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2021-3190-42948-60005

Social media can connect us, inform us and entertain us. But it can also keep us scrolling, expose us to misinformation and shape how we see ourselves and the world around us. So how do we build a healthier relationship with our digital lives? In this episode of Health Reality Check, host Dr Margarida Santos speaks with Professor Sander van der Linden, a social psychologist and leading expert on misinformation, about how digital environments influence our behaviour and beliefs. They explore the impact of social media on young people and how platforms could be designed with safety in mind. They also look at why misinformation is so persuasive, how “prebunking” can help us recognize manipulation before we encounter it, and why curiosity, nuance and an open mind may be some of our best defences online. The host and external guests participate in Health Reality Check as independent contributors. Their participation does not imply WHO support for all their views, opinions or activities. Show notes / links WHO resources • WHO/Europe: A focus on adolescent social media use and gaming in Europe, central Asia and Canada, Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) international report, 2021/2022 survey, Volume 6 • WHO/Europe: Teens, screens and mental health • WHO/Europe: Addressing the digital determinants of youth mental health and well-being • WHO/Europe: A focus on adolescent peer violence and bullying in Europe, central Asia and Canada, Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) international report, 2021/2022 survey, Volume 2 • WHO/Europe: Infodemic management Research discussed in the episode • van der Linden S. Misinformation: susceptibility, spread, and interventions to immunize the public. Nature Medicine, 2022. • Roozenbeek J, van der Linden S, Goldberg B, Rathje S, Lewandowsky S. Psychological inoculation improves resilience against misinformation on social media. Science Advances, 2022. • Paluck EL, Shepherd H, Aronow PM. Changing climates of conflict: A social network experiment in 56 schools. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2016. • Allcott H, Braghieri L, Eichmeyer S, Gentzkow M. The Welfare Effects of Social Media. American Economic Review, 2020.

Is staying healthy simply a matter of making the right choices? Or are those choices shaped long before we make them? In this episode of Health Reality Check, host Dr Margarida Santos sits down with Gundo Weiler, former Director of Prevention and Health Promotion at WHO/Europe, and Allison Ekberg, Technical Officer for Noncommunicable Diseases at WHO/Europe, to unpack what prevention really means. From bike lanes and healthier food to taxes, regulation and the information we see online, they explore how the environments around us shape our health, why prevention is often invisible when it works, and what governments, communities and individuals can do to make healthy choices easier. Show notes / links · WHO Constitution: What does WHO mean by “health”? Constitution of the World Health Organization · WHO/Europe: NCD Quick Buys NCD quick buys - 25 interventions delivering public health impact in five years or less · United Kingdom: Sugar reduction and reformulation Sugar reduction in drinks: 2015 to 2024 - GOV.UK · Health Reality Check: Who can we trust for health information? with Dr Mike Varshavski https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CtVMH3IUVc&t · Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion Ottawa charter for health promotion · WHO European Healthy Cities Network WHO European Healthy Cities Network

Millions of people get health information from social media. But how do you tell credible information from viral misinformation? Why do myths spread so quickly online? And what makes people trust one voice over another? In this episode of Health Reality Check, host Dr Margarida Santos sits down with Dr Mike Varshavski, family physician and one of the world's most-followed health creators, for a conversation about navigating health information in the digital age. Together they explore how to communicate evidence without losing people's attention, the responsibility that comes with influence, and how curiosity can be a powerful antidote to false information. The host and external guests participate in Health Reality Check as independent contributors. Their participation does not imply WHO support for all their views, opinions or activities. Show notes / links WHO Regional Office for Europe: https://www.who.int/europe WHO – What we do: https://www.who.int/about/what-we-do Mike’s TED talk in Monte Carlo: The epidemic of the "I Know All" expert | Mikhail (Doctor Mike) Varshavski | TEDxMonteCarlo