TPG 6: The Road to Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions

The fact that some illnesses result from behavioural factors such as diet, drinking, smoking, sleeping etc. is nothing new. Behaviour is life, and life is the only cause of death. If we change our behaviour, we can live disease free! To simple-minded people, this is the answer. Stop behaving and live forever! Preventative Medicine, what a wonderful idea, it has become the catch phrase of the millennium. However, it may be doing more harm than good.

A whole movement of followers has developed, those trying to cheat death by restricting their behaviour. You know the type, they are uptight and self-righteous, and preventative medicine has become their cause! With paltry study after paltry study waving in their hands, these health fanatics feel justified or even obligated to judge others behaviour as unsatisfactory. In other words, if you do not adhere to strict restriction of your behaviour as suggested by the latest popular ‘study’ and you happen to get sick, it is your fault!

This preventative medicine movement is getting out of control. It is on the other side of public health, it serves to support political and commercial interests. Every time you hear one of these new studies suggesting behaviour change, check the motivation. Why, because the research they are basing their claims on, is at best piece-meal and at worst down right lies. Studies in magazines and sound bytes on the news, is far from a complete picture of health for humans. Rarely do you get details of these ominous research studies. Details such as, location, number of people, controlled variables or confounding variables or contrary research are not addressed - all you get is the headline! Who decides on the headline, some media editor with pressure from a commercial sponsor or social movement?

If there were one all-encompassing answer to human illness, it would be the story of the century. There are too many single variables: genetics, environment and stress are among thousands that need investigation. Moreover, the number of combinations and interactions among these thousands of single variables are infinite. Unfortunately, the research you are banking your life on, are simple correlations of a couple of variables at a time.

The “Fight” word is the operative word with regard to disease. “We are going to fight cancer or he battled cancer…” are the phrases used with respect to the cause. If there isn’t a war, people will invent one. Unfortunately, what invariably happens is people end up fighting other people instead of the ‘cause’. In the case of preventative medicine it has become blame the victim. Instead of expending energy and emotions on compassion and empathy for the victim, simply blaming the victim gets you right off the hook. On the other hand, the victim is now filled with guilt and stress, on top of being sick.

At the very least, preventative medicine creates subtle divisions between people, and in extreme cases promotes hatred. For example, Study Y says, eating food X is unhealthy on TV with lots of hype. Group A does not eat food X and Group B does. Automatically, Group A is superior and Group B will be subject to behavioural modification. This instant segregation creates in-group versus out-group spats over the best way to live and usually Group B will become social targets of reform. Can you even imagine what it must be like to be an overweight person in today’s world? Be careful people, you may be in the next group B.

There are a million studies out there correlating behaviour with illness. Okay let us ‘prevent’ all illness by banning all health threatening behaviour. Why not have government issued food packages, government monitored exercise, no booze, restricted sex, no atmospheric pollution, everyone will be ‘Perfect’ and peace on earth. This is not only impossible, but is extremely stressful for those unable to conform. In fact, one of the largest comprehensive studies on health determinants concludes that the strongest health determinant is low socio-economic status! Specifically, the stress associated with having little control over one’s life.

The first and only fact about life is Death. What is this obsession with living forever? Quit thinking about death and start thinking about life. Ask any old person, “It goes by real fast!” What are we saving up for? Restrict your whole life to do what, let loose at 60 or live a couple extra years at 80? Number one, the research does not support such piety. Number two; this is my life and my philosophy of life and maybe it differs from yours. Instead of waving a religious book on moral behaviour, these people wave health studies on undesirable social behaviour.

Let people decide for themselves what to smoke, drink, and eat. Let them make adult choices! If the paranoid health freaks are right, then dissenters will die young and be out of their way. If the health paranoids are wrong, think of all the fun we are missing or feeling guilty about. Moreover, guilt induces unneeded stress and subsequent ill health. Therefore, they are doing more harm than good. So, let adults be adults. Having control is a stress reliever and control is what people need. Relieving stress is good for you; we know that for sure!

So cut health care costs by having fun and reducing stress! Instead of worrying about death, which is inevitable. Make happiness during life your goal. I eat French fries about once a year. However, when I do, I want them crisp and tasty. How dare you put into law what I can and cannot eat i.e. transfats ban. Let me make that decision. The research is pecking away one variable and situation at a time. There is not nearly enough evidence to justify not living!

Joseph Shelling a Natural philosopher in the 18th century believed that, “Nature should be given its own integrity and not be made overly dependent on the formal structure of our minds…instead of setting our minds on what Nature ought to be…”

by xntrk

xntrkpublishing@gmail.com