Can Lying Make You Sick?

Lying is thought to contribute to stress and reduce the quality of relationships, which in turn may actually make you sick. People who lie less have also been found to have fewer instances of physical ailments, such as headaches and lower back pain, as well as mental health issues such as tension or depression. Participants in a recent University of Notre Dame study who were told not to lie for 10 weeks reported four fewer mental health symptoms and three fewer physical symptoms than participants who lied. These findings may be indicative that telling lies causes the body to release stress hormones, which can contribute to health issues.

More about lying:

• The average US adult is estimated to lie 11 times per week, or one to two times each day, with 60% of conversations lasting longer than 10 minutes including at least one lie.
• People who are dating lie to one another three times more frequently than those who are married.
• Scientific American found that approximately 90% of online dating profiles contain falsehoods.