Waking Up To Our Surrounding Health
January 2008
The communities we live in, our home, and our work environment may have much more to do with our health, throughout our lives, than we would like to admit. And many large corporations like it that way and have gone to great efforts and money to make sure we stay in the dark.
I recently attended an Integrated Healthcare Symposium that addressed the growing problem of chronic disease. Modern medicine has brought us many miracles and successes over the previous century and continues to create amazing advances in medicine. We have all benefited from the many blessings medicine has gifted modern society. Yet important aspects of our general health continue to be problematic and present huge challenges. Though medicine has been wonderful in regards to acute and emergency medicine, the fact remains that chronic illness such as cancer, asthma, allergies, reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, autism, learning disabilities, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, MS, ALS, and Alzheimer's disease are "ills" that are increasing in incidence yearly.
One speaker at the symposium in particular was very articulate and passionate about the environment and its influence regarding our health. Devra Lee Davis, Ph.D., MPH is the director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health. Her recently published book, The Secret History of the War on Cancer , will hopefully alert many to the surrounding environment and how it needs a much closer look as it relates to cancer.
Davis points out in her book, "...if some scientists had figured out nearly a century ago that the world around us affects the chance that we develop cancer, why have we made so little headway in controlling these causes?" Davis states that her goal in writing the book is to explain when, how and why and by whom the spotlight has been kept away from many of the things that produce cancer. She certainly does not shrink away from discussing and documenting how the tobacco industry, chemical and petrochemical industries have fought to confuse the public. Their goal is to confuse us as to the evidence connecting our environment with chronic disease and cancer. Genetics and better diagnosis are not the prime reasons for the growing problems regarding increased chronic health and cancer rates.
Elegantly, Davis points out a troubling hypocrisy.
"I will show how two radically different sets of standards have been applied to learning how to treat the disease on the one hand, and figuring out what produces it on the other. Where animal studies on the causes of cancer exist, they are often faulted as not relevant to humans. Yet when studies of almost identical design are employed to craft novel treatments and therapies, the physiological differences between animals and humans suddenly become insignificant."
Books such as this tend to confirm our suspicions and life experience. It can cast a dark shadow and leave one feeling helpless and at times despondent regarding the direction of the world. Yet much good has occurred when people rally and exert their will and influence. Who 10 years ago would have thought trans fatty acids would be barred from New York City? Look at the quick expansion of organic foods in our local supermarkets. Many supermarkets and restaurants are trying to offer locally grown organic foods. This happened due to consumer demand. We have more power than we give ourselves credit for. Calling and writing our representatives is still a powerful tool, especially in numbers.
On an individual basis we can commit to buying organic and fresh produce and foods. We can do much in our homes to be more energy efficient, filter our water, and using more green products. Avoiding pesticides, herbicides and harmful cleaning chemicals makes a difference as well. There are many opportunities to advocate for our environment and if you are able, donate money to environmental groups and/or volunteer. For more information on our environment and what you can do to take action you can go to Environmental Working Group at www.ewg.org . Wake up to our surrounding health and together we can make a difference.
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