Regular readers of this blog know that many chronic diseases are increasing in prevalence over time. What you may not know is that included in this list is acne. That ought to strike you as unusual. Why would acne, a common skin condition particularly among adolescents, be increasing in prevalence over time.
Acne among Hunter-Gatherers
You might be surprised to learn that among our hunter-gatherer ancestors, acne appears to have been rare. Studies of present day hunter-gatherers (a few of whom still exists) reveal very low rates of acne. Today, globally, rates of acne among adolescents are ~85%. While many of us grew up with the notion that this is just the results of normal pubertal hormonal changes, the exceptionally low rates of acne among hunter-gatherers suggests otherwise. In fact, in a study published in 2011 in the journal, Human Immunology, the authors asserted, “There are even isolated populations where acne is nonexistent, including the inhabitants of the island of Okinawa before World War II, the Bantus in South Africa, the Eskimos, isolated South American Indians, and Pacific Islanders.”
No. It’s not Genetics. It’s the Diet and Environment.
Okay, that just means those populations are genetically less pre-disposed to developing acne right? Maybe they just have a different skin type, right? No. Studies show that when you bring a person living in that sort of setting into the typical modern day environment of an industrialized nation, their rates of acne (and all sorts of other ailments) rises significantly.
So what is causing the rise in the prevalence of acne over time? The answers are not fully clear but diet probably plays a strong role. The higher intake of refined grains and sugar (in contrast to hunter gatherers) are likely contributing factors. Milk intake, particularly skim milk, may be a contributing factor. Other factors are less certain but may include: higher stress (in comparison with hunter gatherer societies), more processed food, and less time spent outdoors.
It’s not just Acne.
At first glance, this appears to be a topic of narrow interest only to teens and their dermatologists. And yet, in the context of the broader argument that mindless consumerism is the reason for the rise of numerous chronic ailments we unnecessarily suffer from today, you can see how this narrow topic is emblematic of a larger problem. I could have written this blog post from other narrow angles. Not only is acne increasing in prevalence when compared to our Paleolithic ancestors, the data suggest that is also true of myopia (near-sightedness) as well as of dental carries and believe it or not, even the need for braces.
What does this tell us? Once again that we are on the wrong track. We humans are natural beings. We evolved in and are best suited to natural environments. Does that mean we should return to living as our stone age ancestors? No. It means we could have taken all the good of the modern world both in terms of medical advancements (vaccines, sanitation, antibiotics, etc.) and non-medical progress (democracy, education, security, etc.) without also taking on the bad (the rise of chronic disease, climate change, the loss of biodiversity, etc). In other words…
BOTTOM LINE: THERE IS A BETTER WAY!
- As John Maynard Keynes said a century ago, people of our time ought to be largely independent of our employers for our income – unfortunately, due to “mindless consumerism”, we are not.
- Mindless consumerism is the underlying reason leading to the rise of chronic disease for 3 major reasons:
- It ties us to dependence on our employers and modern day employment is a health hazard for most (in part due to the sedentary nature of most jobs).
- It has led to environmental changes toxic to our wellbeing:
- (a). We evolved in and are best suited to natural environments and instead we live in increasingly artificial environments.
- (b). Overconsumption has lead us to engineer out the need for meaningful use of our legs for ambulation.
- Finally, it transforms workers to work with blinders on – instead of working for the product or service and receiving money as a side effect, workers focus on making money and the product or service is instead the side effect. The results (with respect to health) is that “food” is no longer food but changed to maximize pleasure and extract profit in spite of the toxicity to our health.
- Based on the science of wellbeing one can derive the philosophy that once basic needs are met, “The best things in life are free” therefore —>
- Most people can live far below their means without sacrificing happiness AND by investing the rest, they can become financially independent of their employers enabling them to be —>
- Happier. Healthier. Wealthier. More engaged. Simply better.
