Prior to the discovery of antibiotics and vaccines, the principal cause of death was infectious disease by pathogenic microorganisms.
What's remarkable in the history of disease is the incredible resistance of medical professionals and societies to what was called "germ theory." Despite definitive evidence of infection as the principal mechanism disease contagion in 1762, physicians clung to false beliefs in "miasma" and refused to adopt basic sanitation practices like hand washing -- even after these practices were proven to save lives.
In our current post-industrial age, infectious disease is no longer the #1 killer. Instead, a much more complex constellation of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and its complications, and Alzheimer's account for over half the deaths in United States.
Back in 1982, Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits coined a phrase called 'Industrial Disease' and dedicated a song to it.
Take note of the way Knopfler's lyrics characterize a typical visit to the doctor's office.
Doctor Parkinson declared "I'm not surprised to see you here "You've got smokers cough from smoking "Brewer's droop from drinking beer "I don't know how you came to get the Bette Davis knees But worst of all young man you've got Industrial Disease'"
He wrote me a prescription He said "You are depressed "But I'm glad you came to see me "To get this off your chest "Come back and see me later - next patient please! "Send in another victim of Industrial Disease." Dire Straits - Industrial Disease Lyrics | MetroLyrics
Knopfler correctly satirizes the modern medical approach to what others have called the diseases of modernity. Autoimmune disorders, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer;s and a host of other ailments are nearly exclusive to western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD, Henrich et al. 2010) countries characterized by technological comfort, ultra-processed diets, and a lack of cold exposure.
What's remarkable is that these diseases of modernity have a single common root cause called "metabolic syndrome," yet physicians still stubbornly cling to false beliefs about cholesterol, carbohydrates, saturated fat, and the relationship between nutrition, metabolism, and health. as a consequence, medical institutions stubbornly cling to practices that keep making their patients sicker.
The problem has reached staggering proportions:
These non-communicable (i.e, non-infectious) diseases are so pervasive that nearly 60% of the American population is now considered obese or overweight, and the range of related medical, and psychological issues related to 'Industrial Disease' is almost too broad to comprehend. Table 1 below organizes and describes them.
What is now clear to all but traditional, institutionalized physicians is that the quality and quantity of human life depends on regulation of insulin.
And there are only three ways to keep your insulin levels healthy:
Keto eating: low carb, low gylcemic index, fasting, and/or calorie restricted.
Exercise.
Deliberate cold exposure: recruit and activate brown fat, consume blood glucose, and improve insulin sensitivity.
Everyone knows about the importance of diet and exercise.
At Morozko Forge, we specialize in ice baths, because they are the fastest, easiest, and most overlooked healing modality for recovering from the ill effects of modernity.
Morozko isn't waiting for the medical establishment to imitate the benefits of deliberate cold exposure in a pill, or a surgical procedure. Our experiences of weight loss, health restoration, and metabolic regulation have been so profound that we will continue to experiment with our own protocols, and build a community of practitioners, scientists, biohackers, and engineers for sharing life-saving knowledge.
About the Author
Thomas P Seager, PhD is an Associate Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University. Seager co-founded the Morozko Forge ice bath company and is an expert in the use of ice baths for building metabolic and psychological resilience.