I have suggested that something serious has gone wrong with Western society in the last 100 years. I have commented on some changes. Now I suggest what might be done about the problem. Before we do that, I want to stress that many of the changes that have occurred have been for the best (and the worst) of motives. The worst are those of greed for money, and the best are the desire to solve serious problems that occur in less developed countries.
In many ways, health has improved tremendously in the last 100 years. The threat of infectious illnesses, especially those which are water borne, has been greatly reduced. People live longer than they did. And the quality of life for many has improved dramatically.
Nonetheless there are certain conditions that appear to be part of modern society, rather than human existence. They include:
Heart disease and strokes
Cancer
Depression
Auto-immune diseases
Crime
Other conditions that have increased are:
Arthritis
Asthma
Skin conditions
Obesity
Diabetes
Attention disorders
Hyperactivity
Some of these conditions have newly appeared in the last century. Others have greatly increased. Many of these conditions can be dealt with using conventional medicine or alternative approaches, but it is claimed that the root cause of many of these conditions is nutritional, including lifestyle, and can be dealt with in some manner through changing diet and increasing activity.
The summary causes (or changes) over the last century are:
Degraded diet
Increased pollution - of food, water, and the environment
Increased stress
Decreased physical activity.
The solution may lie within:
improved diet
avoiding polluted food
handling stress
increasing physical activity
These handlings include nutrition and behaviour. It is not suggested that these are a complete answer or that other approaches are not valid. It is not even suggested that other approaches aren't better.
However, it is suggested that the approach that involves nutrition and lifestyle is more accessible and more likely to be effective in the immediate future (that is, for the next several decades).