There is the underlying assumption that modernity translates
into better health. A corollary of this logic is that we can
live our lives pretty much as we want because we can always buy
a repair. You know, the car won't start, the TV is broken, the
telephone is dead - no problem. Just call in an expert, spend
some money and all is well.
People carry this over to their thinking about health. Our
ticker falters, joints creak or an unwanted growth pops up - no
problem. Buy some modern medical care. If that doesn't work,
it's a problem of money, better insurance, more hospital
funding, more research for the "cure," more doctors, better
equipment and more technology. Right?
Wrong.
Don't take my word for it. Listen to the perpetrators
themselves. The following is taken right from the pages of the
Journal of the American Medical Association (July 26, 2000): "Of
13 countries in a recent (health) comparison, the United States
(the most modern and advanced in the world) ranks an average of
12th (second from the bottom)..."
For example, the U.S. ranks:
*last for low birth weight *last for neonatal and infant
mortality overall *11th for post neonatal mortality *last for
years of potential life lost *11th for female life expectancy at
one year, and next to last for males *10th for age adjusted
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