Earlier this year the US Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy called attention to an unusual epidemic affecting us: an epidemic of loneliness. Because it’s something we’ve all experienced it, many of us are not surprised. On the other hand, it is unusual given that our lives are simultaneously more interconnected than in the past. What’s going …
As anyone who knows a little about health can tell you, every healthy person has a few things in common: they exercise regularly (often outdoors in nature), they consume nutritious food, and they sleep well. While healthy overlaps considerably with happiness, to be happy you also need a healthy supportive social network with the freedom …
So far, I’ve been trying to convince individuals to reconsider their relationship with consumption. I think the message for the individual is so compelling that just about anyone who understands it, is likely to reconsider their relationship with many of the things we spend money on these days. Society and Mindless Consumption – A Solution …
Revolutionary Policy # 1: Teach Investing & the Science of Happiness Read More »
I once gave a talk to a room full of physicians of various specialties. Here’s what I said: “Today, as you all know, 73% of Americans are either overweight or obese. Diabetes is ten times more common than it was a hundred years ago. Anxiety and depression rates among children in particular are skyrocketing. Now …
You may have heard of a famous study in 2010 by 2 nobel-prize winning economists, Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton at Princeton University that demonstrated a correlation between income and happiness. It made a lot of headlines at the time. If you just read the news articles, you would surely have come away with a misinterpretation of …
My father passed away not long ago. He had a number of medical problems but thankfully he lived to old age, lived to see his grandchildren, and to leave a lasting impression on many, especially me. But in the late 1980s he suffered a heart attack in his early 50s. I remember the day vividly. …
I often hear the argument, usually from those on the political left, that Big Pharma, Big Ag, Big Food, Big Oil or Big Industry of choice is to blame for our health, financial or other predicament. In this scenario, the individual is powerless against a monstrous global giant out to make profit for themselves at …
Ok, you’ve convinced yourself that it’s okay to have ice cream, donuts, sodas, chips, chicken wings or any number of other “foods” you know is not healthy for you as long as it is done in moderation. In theory, I don’t necessarily have a problem with that. I am certainly not perfect in my own …
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 …
Acne is increasing in prevalence over Time – Here’s Why. Read More »
For a book about health, Health in Flames has perhaps surprisingly little to say about diet. Of course, that is by intention. The subtitle is “A Doctors Prescription for Living BEYOND Diet and Exercise.” That said, while saying little about diet and exercise it has much to do with both of these fundamental pillars of …
