Preventative health, which stops us from getting sick in the first place, is underfunded. Long-term studies in scientific fields such as nutrition, micronutrients and lifestyle factors do not receive the necessary funding because most lifestyle solutions cannot be patented and commercialised.
As an analogy, in nature, not every resource gets equal attention.
The flashiest flowers, designed to attract birds and insects, gain the ‘oohhs and the ahhhs,’ while wind-pollinated plants flower almost unnoticed. Yet these wind-pollinated plants form the backbone of an ecosystem, holding soil in place and feeding countless species.
Human health is similar; high-profile pharmaceutical breakthroughs draw the spotlight and funding, while the quieter, highly effective fields of prevention and lifestyle medicine go ignored (and desperately underfunded).
On top of this, the complexities of the human body and the environment make it nearly impossible to design experiments that factor in all the variables. Imagine trying to design an experiment with appropriate controls that evaluates the impact of dietary changes over 10 to 20 years, while factoring in differences in age, exercise programmes, sleep and stress patterns.
Epidemiological studies attempt to control factors statistically, but variables are often confounded and the popular media simplifies the findings.
A leading voice in longevity research, Dr Peter Attia, has said:
“I make no secret of my disdain for nutritional epidemiology studies. Between their reliance on weak methods, weak measurements, weak analyses and weak reporting, I would hardly know where to begin in simply describing the problems with these study types, let alone identifying their possible solutions.”
So what does this mean for you?
It means you can’t outsource everyday wellbeing to medicine alone. It means trusting medicine when you need it, but not waiting for it for good health. Your health power lies in prevention and lifestyle changes—in how you eat, move, rest and think.
Look after your body like it’s your only one—because it is!