Sunday, March 25, 2012

I Just Sit On The Floor And Weep

Part of my old job consisted of surfing through health-related news outlets and updating our social media with articles that are important for our clientele.

If you are looking for any activity more depressing, look no further-- you've found it.

Everyday, someone is coming out with a new study that says what was good for you a month ago could now be killing you... all on websites blanketed with ads for prescription drugs, "weight loss" supplements, fancy-pants exercise equipment, or some packaged food product that probably tastes as good as the cardboard box it comes in. One article will publish that 1 in 10 adults will have diabetes by 2030; the article immediately next to it will be about the 6 signs of being addicted to exercise; there's a space for advertising for the newest microwave dinner, loaded with preservatives and dyes, forgoing any sense of taste or nutrition; there's a drug recall for this miracle prescription that was supposed to make you tall, skinny, pretty, happy, and have everyone like you all the time... with minor side effects like smelling burnt toast, sweating teeth, being able to hear your own hair grow, and sleeping in your refrigerator.

Science does not suit 24 hour news cycles. When information outlets need to scrape the bottom of the barrel everyday to try and keep their readers interested, that damages the validity of genuine research that could benefit humanity's well being. Supplying people with contradictory information on a regular basis can be good if it serves to fuel honest debate and further important studies. When it's a constant barrage of nonsense, pulling people in contradictory directions all in an attempt to create fear and hope that results in buying from a particular sponsor, that reduces "news" and "facts" to nothing more than marketing ploys and misdirection.

Preventative health measures are not sexy. They're not glamorous. They're not going to hold the attention of an audience if they were ever made into a one-hour drama. "ER" wouldn't have worked if it was a chiropractor, a naturopath, a nutritionist, an acupuncturist, and a massage therapist-- they don't tend to walk around in as much of a hurry.

But preventative measures are life-saving.



Think about it this way-- would you rather eat good food (that also tastes marvelous), use and enjoy your body with exercise or activity, process emotional and mental stresses as they happen, and keep your body free of interference so it can heal the way it's designed to... or take a pill, eat like crap, and die before you're 50?

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