{"id":21386,"date":"2022-12-22T16:58:44","date_gmt":"2022-12-22T15:58:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=21386"},"modified":"2023-01-03T11:25:23","modified_gmt":"2023-01-03T10:25:23","slug":"recommended-health-targets-do-they-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/2022\/12\/22\/recommended-health-targets-do-they-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Recommended health targets: do they work?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

RECOMMENDED HEALTH TARGETS:
DO THEY WORK? <\/h2>\n\n

Get your five-a-day. Sleep eight hours a night. Drink eight glasses of water<\/em>\u2026
These are just a few of the \u2018essential\u2019 health guidelines we\u2019re supposed to live by, but who can really manage all of them? And do these \u2018commandments\u2019 stand up to scrutiny? <\/em><\/h4>\n\n

by AMY <\/strong>FLEMING <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
ILLUSTRATION: JOE WALDRON <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

150 MINUTES OF EXERCISE A WEEK <\/h4>\n\n

You don\u2019t have to sweat it out in a smelly gym class to stay fit <\/em><\/p>\n\n

The NHS recommends that UK adults get 150 minutes of moderate, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThese recommendations are the minimum that people need to do to gain health benefits from physical activity, based on four decades of research,\u201d says Gavin Sandercock, professor of sport, rehabilitation and exercise sciences at the University of Essex. \u201cIf you follow the recommendations, you\u2019re about 11-15 per cent less likely to die of anything, compared to people who do nothing, and your risk of dying of a heart attack is about 20 per cent lower.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

But he says they\u2019re a watered-down version of the first activity guidelines from 1991, which were for 150 minutes of moderate \u2013 but preferably vigorous \u2013 activity, in addition to what you already do, in bouts of at least half an hour a pop. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe science is really strong for vigorous activity,\u201d says Sandercock. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean with the eyes popping out, it just means having a higher heart rate. Everything we know about exercise physiology, everything I\u2019ve learned in the past 25 years, tells me that vigorous is best and I recommend it to anyone who is healthy enough to do it. If you want to get fitter, you have to work harder.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

In surveys on physical activity, people tend to exaggerate how much they\u2019ve done, says Sandercock. It\u2019s easier to determine accurately how much vigorous activity you did, and not kid yourself about it. \u201cIf I asked you how far you\u2019d run, you probably know, whereas if I asked you how far you walked this week, you\u2019d have trouble answering because it\u2019s more of an incidental activity,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n

Dr Koula Asimakopoulou, a reader in health psychology at King\u2019s College London, worries that these targets don\u2019t provide any sense of motivation. \u201cDifferent people will have different ideas of what \u2018moderate\u2019 and \u2018vigorous\u2019 mean,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n

But even if you\u2019re motivated to read the small print for examples (which for \u2018moderate\u2019 exercise include walking, lawn-mowing and rollerblading, versus running, swimming or aerobics for \u2018vigorous\u2019 activity), that alone is unlikely to be enough to start new behaviour so you can get fitter. Planning, removing any friction by getting your running kit or wet-weather gear ready the night before, finding an activity you enjoy and doing it with friends will all help make those fitness dreams become real. <\/p>\n\n

\n\n

FIVE PORTIONS OF FRUIT OR VEG A DAY<\/span><\/h4>\n\n

No, chips, mash and crisps don\u2019t count as three <\/em><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Five-a-day started out as a health marketing slogan in the US. <\/p>\n\n

\u201c[It was] loosely linked to populations that had more fruit and vegetables having lower risk of heart disease or longer lives,\u201d says Dr Duane Mellor, a British Dietetic Association spokesperson and registered dietitian. \u201cThe World Health Organization data now shows eating half a kilo of fruit and vegetables daily is a minimum to see lower instances of disease.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Five good handfuls should provide this quota, but the more the merrier. <\/p>\n\n

Five-a-day may be super catchy, but in practice it can be problematic. Fruit juice counts as a daily portion in the UK, even though you\u2019re getting the concentrated sugar hit of many more fruits than you\u2019d eat, without the fibre, potentially causing a sugar rush and tooth decay. In the UK, we don\u2019t count starchy, carb-rich potatoes (or yams), but in Australia spuds are allowed \u2013 after all they are a key source of vitamin C. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cA simpler message is try to eat as many different fresh or frozen \u2013 or if that\u2019s not possible, tinned \u2013 fruit and vegetables as possible, in two meals a day,\u201d says Mellor. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe World Health Organization data now shows eating half a kilo of fruit and vegetables daily is a minimum to see lower instances of disease.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Mellor says giving the vegetables a starring role in meals is key to long-term health benefits. \u201cWe may be tempted to eat more fruits because they taste nicer,\u201d he says. \u201cLikewise, condensing the fruit and veg down to a smoothie, you\u2019re losing the foundation, the building blocks of meals. If you take the vegetables out of the meal, the risk is your meal is going to comprise things with less vitamins, minerals and fibre and more calories. You need to make vegetables the bulk of a meal, and then try to make them interesting.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Variety is important, agrees Dr Sarah Berry, associate professor of nutritional sciences at King\u2019s College London, and chief scientist at personalised health research company, ZOE. According to Berry, recent research by ZOE\u2019s partner organisation, the American Gut Project, has highlighted the importance of eating a variety of fibre from around 30 different plant species as being key to better health. <\/p>\n\n

While some argue that we should be surpassing five portions of fruit and veg a day, Berry is cautious. \u201cThe majority of people in the UK \u2013 70 per cent of adults and over 80 per cent of children \u2013 do not reach the five-a-day target, so changing it to something more ambitious may not be helpful,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n

Asimakopoulou warns that short catchphrases are not enough to spark behaviour change. Instead, we need to consider SMART objectives. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based targets. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cHaving a goal is not equivalent to performing it,\u201d she says. \u201cPsychologists have discovered that if you have an intention to get five-a-day, you\u2019ll be most likely to translate it into behaviour if you plan when, where and how you will achieve this goal, along with forming a Plan B for what you will do if the when\/where\/how plan is broken by life events.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

\n\n

EIGHT GLASSES OF WATER A DAY<\/h4>\n\n

If in doubt, check your pee <\/em><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
GETTY IMAGES <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

In the UK, the NHS recommends six to eight glasses, or up to 1.2 litres of fluids, a day, pointing out that we also get water from food. Harvard Medical School recommends four to six cups a day. But it\u2019s the more extreme two litres of water a day advice that has won the internet. <\/p>\n\n

In 2016, the idea that getting most of your liquids from water is more beneficial was debunked by Dr Stuart Galloway, an associate professor in physiology, exercise and nutrition at the University of Stirling. His study showed a range of drinks, including diuretics like lager and instant coffee, didn\u2019t stimulate any additional fluid loss than water when drunk in normal quantities. <\/p>\n\n

But nobody can really say how much everyone needs to drink, as we all have different bodies, diets and activity levels, not to mention varying environments (hot, dry, humid, etc). Most people can tell if they need more water because they feel thirsty, although this urge diminishes in old age. If in doubt, for the majority of adults, the number of trips to the loo can be a potentially useful guide to adequate hydration, says Galloway. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cNobody can really say how much everyone needs to drink, as we all have different bodies, diets and activity levels\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

\u201cIt accounts for differences in fluid losses due to environment, or activity level, as well as variations in fluid intake. A rough rule of thumb would be four to six visits to the toilet to pee during a typical day, if adequately meeting your water requirements.\u201d More than six pees means you\u2019re overdoing it, while less than four means you probably need to drink more.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThis approach can have some shortcomings, such as impacts of any alteration in kidney function with age, certain medications, or different beverage compositions that all affect urine concentration and volume,\u201d he warns. \u201cSo it is a rough rule of thumb rather than an accurate guide.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Urine colour is also useful, with similar caveats, he says. \u201cTo get the best idea, don\u2019t rely on a single marker but evaluate using a combination.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

\n\n
<\/div>
\n

SHOULD WE DITCH RDAs?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

RDA \u2013 a term from the US that\u2019s also familiar in the UK \u2013 stands for Recommended Dietary Allowance. In the UK and Europe, the official ideal daily measure for nutrients is called the \u2018dietary reference intake\u2019. They\u2019re not identical, but both indicate the optimum levels of nutrients needed every day to keep most of the population healthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on averages, these figures can be misleading for individuals, says Dr Susan Fairweather-Tait, professor in health policy and practice at the University of East Anglia Medical School, with a special interest in micronutrients. \u201cNot everybody needs that level of intake,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, she adds, seeing these figures on product and supplement labels is useful as a rough guide. But rather than being taken as instruction for what you need to ingest each day \u2013 which would be impossible to calculate precisely, as foods vary so much and you\u2019re unlikely to weigh each portion \u2013 they are most important in avoiding overdosing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[With supplements] people often think, \u2018one capsule good, two must be better\u2019. But you can buy supplements in massively high doses, and it\u2019s dangerous. Taking too much vitamin C won\u2019t do you any harm, but things like vitamin D and vitamin A can be quite dangerous. With selenium, the gap between what you require and what becomes toxic is very narrow, so if people read an article saying selenium is a great antioxidant, they could go over the top and make themselves ill. Consumers are being misled, they\u2019re wasting money and putting their health at risk.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Sarah Berry, associate professor of nutritional sciences at King\u2019s College London, agrees. \u201cWhile RDAs are useful on a population level, not everybody will need to supplement to reach their ideal amount of a certain nutrient,\u201d she says. \u201cAs humans we eat food, not individual nutrients, so for most people eating a variety of foods is likely to provide the necessary key nutrients needed for health.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exceptions include pregnant women, vegans and people with specific health conditions taking their doctor\u2019s advice. If in doubt, Berry does not believe there is any harm in taking a standard dose multivitamin as an \u2018insurance\u2019 policy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
GETTY IMAGES<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n
\n\n

14 UNITS OF ALCOHOL A WEEK <\/h4>\n\n

Moderate consumption can still cause harm <\/em><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

According to UK guidelines, adults should stick to no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread over a period of three days or more. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cIf you stick to a maximum of 14 units a week, your chances of dying of an alcohol-related disease are probably one in 100 or less,\u201d says Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of Alcohol Health Alliance UK and founder of Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research. \u201cIt\u2019s estimated most people would accept a risk of one in 100, as nothing in life is free of risk.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

The struggle, however, is getting people to adopt those recommendations. The drivers of how much people drink, and how much harm is seen, are basically price, availability and marketing, he explains. <\/p>\n\n

Plus, as he says, most people enjoy a drink. \u201cIt\u2019s associated with fun and celebrations. I\u2019ve never heard someone say \u2018so-and-so is a really good smoker, he can really hold his fags\u2019. There\u2019s still that heroic image around drinking.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe vast majority of people do not know that alcohol is linked to seven common cancers, including breast cancer and colon cancer\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

People are also very bad at remembering advice on units, says Gilmore. \u201cI can\u2019t help sometimes thinking people are quite keen to be confused and say, \u2018Oh, well, it\u2019s all too difficult. It\u2019s not my problem anyway.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n

But he says the majority of harm is not just seen in heavy, dependent drinkers. \u201cIt\u2019s actually in the people in the middle who are not alcohol-dependent. And if you could just shift the whole of the consumption curve down by a couple of units, you would save thousands of lives.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

According to Asimakopoulou, lowering your alcohol consumption is all about intention. \u201cYou need to think about opportunity and motivation \u2013 so you would need to make the conscious decision to not have a drink if, for example, you are out every evening.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Reading up on the cold, hard facts is the first step towards that motivation, she says. If you don\u2019t know and believe in the benefits of cutting down, it\u2019s never going to happen. Planning when you will and will not drink is useful, as is knowing the units in actual drinks that you enjoy. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe vast majority of people do not know that alcohol is linked to seven common cancers, including breast cancer and colon cancer,\u201d says Gilmore. Alcohol-free months can help, he says, as long as they\u2019re not seen as a free pass to get blotto the rest of the year (they\u2019re not). <\/p>\n\n

\u201cAlcohol Change, the charity behind Dry January, has shown that six months and 12 months afterwards there is a significant improvement in some people\u2019s relationship with alcohol. It\u2019s about showing people that they can go without, allowing them to reset their relationship with alcohol,\u201d says Gilmore. <\/p>\n\n

\n\n

2,000 CALORIES A DAY <\/h4>\n\n

All calories are not made equal <\/em><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
ALAMY <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Calories give us an idea of how much energy foods and drinks contain, and have been a dietary obsession in recent decades. Most of us can recite that women need 2,000 calories a day, and men need 2,500. But as NHS guidelines point out, \u201can ideal daily intake of calories varies depending on age, metabolism and levels of activity, among other things.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Calories are nice theoretical units, says Mellor, but are flawed. While a hazelnut contains a certain amount of energy potential, when eaten it requires quite a lot of energy to break it down \u2013 and still more energy will escape digestion. \u201cThis is because the energy is inside the fibre, which we can\u2019t break down. Whereas the same number of calories from instant noodles are a lot easier to get hold of,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n

Mellor points to the work of Kevin Hall at the US Department of Health and Human Services, who has found that eating ultra-processed foods compared to unprocessed foods led to greater energy intake and weight gain, despite the foods having the same calories, sugar, fat, sodium, fibre and macronutrients. <\/p>\n\n

Then we need to account for variation in unprocessed foods. \u201cIf you\u2019ve got a number on a label, because of biology, it can vary by about 20 per cent,\u201d says Mellor. Even apples from the same tree can differ in sugar content by 10 per cent, according to which got the most sunshine. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cA lot of people are out of touch with their hunger and fullness cues, their energy levels and their enjoyment of food” <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to look at calories, go for foods with more fibre, protein, vitamins or minerals in them, which give you bulk and more satisfaction,\u201d he advises. But rather than sweat the numbers, he says to focus on more variety in terms of colour, fibre and nutrients. <\/p>\n\n

Berry doesn\u2019t believe that calories are a useful measure for health. \u201cWe know that there is much more to food and health than calories. Moving the conversation away from calories and how much you weigh, and towards how you feel and improving our relationship with food and eating healthier foods, is much more helpful. Focus on how healthy a food is, not on how many calories it has.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n

As ZOE\u2019s studies have found, different foods cause harmful blood sugar or fat spikes in different people. \u201cUnderstanding what works for you is simple but crucial,\u201d says Berry. \u201cA lot of people are out of touch with their hunger and fullness cues, their energy levels and their enjoyment of food. Our members want to feel better, not worry over a number on the scales. Nutritious foods lead to enjoyable meals.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

\n\n

10,000 STEPS A DAY<\/em><\/h4>\n\n

Count your steps, but tread carefully\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

\u201cThe 10,000 steps target was a gimmick that was produced for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, by a pedometer company,\u201d says Sandercock. <\/p>\n\n

But one of the big controversies is whether we should count incidental movement in the activity guidelines. \u201cIf we did 10,000 [proper] steps a day everyone would be doing around 1,680 minutes per week of activity, but it\u2019s just moving around. If you\u2019re wearing an accelerometer or pedometer, it could misconstrue any movement as a step.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

If you\u2019re trying to increase your walking, a pedometer can help, but might it not work for long. One 2013 study found that over a period of four weeks, a pedometer increased participants\u2019 walking more than being given walking goals in minutes, although after this time, walking times started to decrease again. Perhaps the novelty had worn off. If you want to sustain these gains, you might be better off getting a dog. <\/p>\n\n

Sandercock\u2019s advice, depending on how old you are, is to up your steps by 15 per cent. \u201cThat\u2019s been shown to be effective in studies, and there\u2019s also really good evidence to show that older adults don\u2019t need to do 10,000 steps. Usually, 6,000 steps is enough to keep them out of things like frailty classifications, and this is associated with better health.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

\n\n

EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT <\/h4>\n\n

Get enough shuteye and reap the health benefits <\/em><\/p>\n\n

\"\"
GETTY IMAGES<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Seven to eight hours of sleep a night has been proven to be the magic number of hours for adults, with babies, children and teenagers needing more. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThis amount of sleep will ensure the brain has the appropriate time to do what it needs for healthy functioning. Some people can tolerate a shorter window of time, and others need a bit more, but seven to eight hours is the average,\u201d says Dr Nilong Vyas, managing director at paediatric sleep consultancy Sleepless in NOLA and a medical review expert at the Sleep Foundation. <\/p>\n\n

The majority of people who get seven or eight hours per night report feeling better rested, with improved mood and health, she says. But it\u2019s an ideal target rather than something to get stressed about. So if focusing on seven to eight hours of shuteye is not helping you sleep better, another target to strive for is eliminating electronics at least one hour before bedtime. \u201cThis is an extraordinarily hard task and target to achieve for many. However, prioritising both targets will ensure an avalanche of health benefits,\u201d says Vyas. <\/p>\n\n

In terms of behaviour change, \u201cit is more about placing the sleep goal within a lifestyle that allows you to do it, by telling yourself that the sleep goal is higher value to you than the staying-up-late-to-get-the-overdue-report-written goal,\u201d says Asimakopoulou. <\/p>\n\n

Planning when, where and how you’ll achieve the goal is vital, she says, along with consciously deciding to drop competing goals that prevent you from getting enough sleep.<\/p>\n\n

by AMY <\/strong>FLEMING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

(@amy_fleming<\/a>) Amy is a freelance science and health writer. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RECOMMENDED HEALTH TARGETS: DO THEY WORK? Get your five-a-day. Sleep eight hours a night. Drink eight glasses of water\u2026These are just a few of the \u2018essential\u2019 health guidelines we\u2019re supposed to live by, but who can really manage all of them? And do these \u2018commandments\u2019 stand up to scrutiny? by AMY FLEMING 150 MINUTES OF […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":21378,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"66","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"66","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_66-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_66-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"New-Year-2023","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"New-Year-2023","purple_external_id":"New-Year-2023-66-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"New-Year-2023-66-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000089662||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000089662||","purple_android_product":"com.focus.magazine.issue386","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.focus.magazine.issue386","purple_ios_product":"com.focus.magazine.issue386","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.focus.magazine.issue386","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"0f422ad1-c939-476d-9f82-a410052ad4c3","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-12-22T16:03:20Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"1c379c32-8a27-4d09-8c79-263ed960fd65","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-01-03T10:25:33Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AHDecMoonTQmMeSY-2WD9ZQ","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[54],"tags":[15],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/12\/b097522b-b619-44f4-a5e6-57b791f38761.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"16","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/12\/b097522b-b619-44f4-a5e6-57b791f38761.jpg",1546,2048,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/12\/b097522b-b619-44f4-a5e6-57b791f38761-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/12\/b097522b-b619-44f4-a5e6-57b791f38761-226x300.jpg",226,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/12\/b097522b-b619-44f4-a5e6-57b791f38761-768x1017.jpg",768,1017,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/12\/b097522b-b619-44f4-a5e6-57b791f38761-773x1024.jpg",773,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/12\/b097522b-b619-44f4-a5e6-57b791f38761-1160x1536.jpg",1160,1536,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/12\/b097522b-b619-44f4-a5e6-57b791f38761.jpg",1546,2048,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"RECOMMENDED HEALTH TARGETS: DO THEY WORK? Get your five-a-day. Sleep eight hours a night. Drink eight glasses of water\u2026These are just a few of the \u2018essential\u2019 health guidelines we\u2019re supposed to live by, but who can really manage all of them? And do these \u2018commandments\u2019 stand up to scrutiny? by AMY FLEMING 150 MINUTES OF…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21386"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21386"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22180,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21386\/revisions\/22180"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}