# How to manage modern health issues

Modern society has created many benefits (e.g., [insurance](money-insurance.md), [computers](computers.md), [cars](autos.md)), but exchanges the [risks endemic to nature](safety-nature.md) for the risks from mass-produced food-in-a-box and sedentary activity.

In general, most modern health management revolves around two major things:

1. Mitigating various [toxins](body-health-toxins.md) that may arise in modern society
2. [Treatments](body-treatments.md) against any breakdown of a body system, either from over-exposure to toxins or simple aging.

The ubiquity of modern toxins make [diet](body-diet.md) and [exercise](body-exercise.md) management far more complicated.

## Seek better habits more than treatments

Most of our body's capacity to heal comes through our exposure to resistance, though it can be difficult to remember in [modern society](people-image-modern.md) when we're surrounded by [immaterial engineered objects](engineering.md).

- In Western society, about 1 in 10 people have autoimmune disorders, where their immune system somehow attacks its body.

Extreme medical procedures (e.g., stomach stapling, liposuction) you won't fix [habits](habits.md) that gained that weight, so you'll likely regress back.

You must set specific, intentional [long-term goals](success-3_goals.md) to fight what civilized society brings:

- Most of the time, the convenience of [owning a car](autos.md) means you'll be less efficient if you choose to live a more active lifestyle.
- Your lifestyle will likely be [unfashionable](people-trends.md) compared to your friends.
- Often, eating healthy is *way* pricier and requires much more [cooking](cooking.md) than boxed meals.

Doctors are usually trustworthy, but they're [specialized](jobs-specialization.md) toward a specific domain.

- Typically, their role is to manage the symptoms of adverse health situations, *not* to give advice on how to prevent it in the future.
- Further, they often have interests that go beyond their patients' best interests (e.g., hospitals, pharmaceutical companies), and many large hospitals practice some level of [medical paternalism](mgmt-badsystems.md).
- Their advice is legitimate and often life-saving, but only in the context that their services and consultation are assisting in what your body is already naturally designed to do.

Many healthcare professionals agree with the holistic and mind-based approach:

- [Dr. Daniel Amen](https://www.amenclinics.com/)
- [Dr. William Walsh](https://www.biobalance.org.au/)
- [Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride](http://doctor-natasha.com/)
- [Dr. Joseph Mercola](https://www.mercola.com/)
- [Dr. Hunter Adams](https://www.patchadams.org/)
- [Dr. Mark Hyman](https://drhyman.com/)

Obviously, you'll need [treatments](body-treatments.md) eventually (especially since we are all [on the way to death](hardship-death.md)), but it's in your interests to [live in a way that avoids them for as long as possible](body-health-habits.md).

## Consider your age

It becomes far more difficult to change your lifestyle toward healthy [habits](habits.md) once your systems start failing.

- The best thing to do is adapt to your new situation, reconcile with what comes afterward.
- The pain typically won't disappear, but healthier decisions can definitely mitigate your suffering.

As you get older, your body *will* start deteriorating faster than you can heal.

- The last few years are the worst, and 80% of a person's healthcare will be spent in the final year of their life.
- Eventually, one of your primary organs will fail, and that's effectively [death](hardship-death.md).
- Every surgery, medication, and heavy treatment will harm you more than when you were younger.

## Signs of specific afflictions

Cancer: you're losing weight without a lifestyle change.

Dementia: your memory isn't as good as it once was.

Infection: you feel constantly sick but can't figure out why.

## More information

[ExRx.net](https://exrx.net/)