There seems to be a lot diseased people in our country, per-capita, heart trouble,parkensons, alzheimers etc, and especially cancer. Does anyone know of some good web sites where the health of people in other countries is compared with the people in ours?

-- just a wonderin (just@wonderin.com), February 20, 2000

Answers

Diet is a big cause. Manufacturered food instead of what God gave man to eat--just my opinion.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), February 20, 2000.

I would say you are right Mara. Process Cheese Food. never eat it.

-- Merlot (Merlot@cost.com), February 20, 2000.

just a wonderin - Those countries with the greatest longevity are naturally going to have fewer cases of terminal diseases. That would be Japan and some European countries I believe.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), February 20, 2000.

1999 World Health Report

Whether or not you can believe it, well, that's another matter isn't it?

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), February 20, 2000.

Mara, I am in agreement with you.

-- Barb (ba3_4him1@yahoo.com), February 20, 2000.

Well just a wonderin, I have sure wondered about the same thing. Seems like everybody we know has health problems, irrespective of age. Seems like the healthiest people in our area, are the ones over 65, can't figure it out. Would be interested too, to see what everyone else sees from their corner of the world.

-- suzy (suzy@nowhere.com), February 20, 2000.

Chemtrails.

Doctors make a killing, gubmint saves a load in Social Security payouts.

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), February 20, 2000.

Sorry folks-no sympathy and/or agreement here. Does no one wonder why our culture focuses on "how we feel" ? Surely those of you who are enlightened enough to consider the aspects that other humans in different environments (read countries) cope with every day life? I often think about those folks in the rest of the world who deal with providing the basics of food, heat and shelter for those they love, every day, who never even think about the more complex consequences of physical problems. Did anyone out there consider that the reason we are here today is because we are the best of the gene pool (LL & Y2Kpro included)? The reason there are so many more "diseased people" is because now thanks to high tech medicine, they are diagnosed. How many people in days gone by, had various undiagnosed maladies and yet lived to a ripe old age? How many people today live with undiagnosed diseases and yet, live past the age of expectation? How many people on the earth get cancer, unknowingly, and still live for many more years? We don't really know who gets cancer, who goes undiagnosed, and who's body repairs itself, without doctors. Figures lie and liars figure. Until every human is tested for every possible disease, numbers are meaningless. More doctors=more diseases.

-- Aunt Bee (SheriffAndy@Mayberry.com), February 20, 2000.

How about Psychiatric diaorders?

-- rc white (cw5410@netscape.net), February 20, 2000.

diet may be part of it. but alot of it is what is in the air, the soil, the water--as well as in our food. CHEMICALS. we are all exposed to ridiculous levels of chemicals. don't let the big boys fool us into thinking it is all our fault by what we eat!

-- tt (cuddluppy@aol.com), February 21, 2000.

Just a wonderin, i don't know of any sites with the info you want. but why not try asking a student in premed or med school? or someone familiar with the medical websites?

btw, a couple little historical notes that might make you think: 1. during WW2, when meat and butter were rationed, especially in europe, people got more protein from beans and less from meat. the death rate for heart disease, cancer, and other diseases went WAY down. 2. whenever doctors go on strike, the death rate drops dramatically.

-- jocelyne slough (jonslough@tln.net), February 21, 2000.

Hope this gets your research started in a productive direction: http://www.rachel.org/home_eng.htm is the URL for the Environmental Research Foundation which hosts Rachel's Environmental and Health Weekly (to which I subscribe).

Rachel's chief researcher and writer, Peter Montague, startled me with this statistic last year: Over 40% of US health costs are being spent to treat "environmental illness"---that is illness resulting from chemicals, toxicants and other deleterious elements in the general environment as well as dietary and lifestyle deficiencies.

Worldwide, nearly half of treatable disease is a result of inadequate or improper nutrition.

-- (First=Last@Last.=First), February 21, 2000.

Children are required to receive more vaccines today than ever before. The true long term effects(i.e. 30 or 40 years down the road) are not known. The empirical data has never been compiled so thus does not exist. Denatured and highly processed foods containing a number of preservative chemicals must be considered potential contributing factors. Tap water, containing chlorine, fluoride, etc. must be considered. One researcher from NIH attributes over 50,000 cancer deaths a year to fluoride alone. Unhealthful sedentary living does not produce vibrantally healthy and physically fit individuals. There have been numerous studies of longevity in centurian cultures. One example are the Hunzas. A foreging culture, they are physically active every day of their lives and sustain a primarily vegetarian diet. They attribute their longevity to glacial water. I believe the answers to our disease care dilemna is the obvious.

-- NoJo (RSKeiper@aol.com), February 21, 2000.

-- jocelyne slough, you said,

"2. whenever doctors go on strike, the death rate drops dramatically."

Can you please give ONE example of the last time doctors en masse went on strike in America (with or without a change in the "death rate")?

Thanks in advance from the *very* skeptical,

Frank

-- Someone (ChimingIn@twocents.cam), February 21, 2000.

We're seeing a large increase in cancer deaths in ppl aged 50-70. Getting more younger around here.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), February 21, 2000.

Doctor's incomes rose last year between 20 to 40 percent, so I don't see them striking anytime soon. Clearly they have adapted to swimming through the HMO-waters, IMHO.

Aunt Bee, if you are referring to "the rest of the world" as non-USA, then please try to get out of the house more.

" I often think about those folks in the rest of the world who deal with providing the basics of food, heat and shelter for those they love, every day, who never even think about the more complex consequences of physical problems. "

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), February 21, 2000.