Nearly 130 million Americans have a least one chronic disease. Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

An Unnatural State (Part Two)

There is no doubt that much of mankind today lives in misery, even in the developed world, and that this is An Unnatural State for humanity.

Here are more sad details on what is happening to us as human beings and how our so-called civilized societies are destroying the natural state of man, which philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau described as one of innocence, happiness, and independence.

Across the world, the leading causes of death are predominantly lifestyle-related: heart disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. This means that some lifestyle changes (such as stopping smoking, losing weight, increasing exercise, using stress-reduction techniques, adopting healthier eating, and better blood pressure management) would increase average longevity.

The top non-lifestyle causes of death are also societal: violence, conflict, homicides, and accidents (unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle accidents, accidental drug overdoses, and falls).

In the United States, nearly 130 million Americans have at least one chronic disease, a financial and personal toll projected to grow for the foreseeable future. Amazingly, over 90% of the $4.1 trillion annual healthcare spending in the U.S. goes toward treating these physical and mental health conditions.