>I think the problem arises when we get into the very individualistic
notion of
>healthy lifestyles and individual responsibility for health that is around
>now. This can lead to both self blame and societal labeling if someone
does >get an illness.

Or it can lead to a sense of power to affect one's health. For me, when I
know that certain choices reduce my risk of illness I don't feel so
helpless. Note: those choices *reduce* my risk; they don't eliminate them.

I don't see taking responsibility for my own health as a "problem." If I
develop diabetes because I ate poorly, didn't exercise, and gained far too
much weight, some self blame wouldn't be out of line.  Or if I go to a
shopping center during Flu season and eat lunch without washing my hands, I
would see that I do, in fact, share in the responsibility for my aches and
fever.

But, I know what you are saying and, I admit, causes of diabetes and the
spread of infections are clearer than some other illnesses. When we talk
about cancer and other serious diseases whose causes are not clear, we must
be careful not to blame the victim (either ourselves or others), which does
not serve health. But this doesn't mean that we fail to make choices that
we think will lower our risk. If someone whom we care about becomes ill, we
want to share with her/him what we think will hasten their recovery. The
purpose isn't to blame.

To borrow a line from another cause, I believe that I need to "Think
grouply. Act individually." [Grouply??] Reading the epidemiological studies
gives me the stats of the entire population, but I still must act for myself.

While we are learning more about the unknowns of these serious diseases,
there is a risk of someone's feeling blamed.  For example, when we learn
that breastfeeding reduces a woman's risk of breast cancer, the woman who
chose to not breastfeed her baby may feel blamed.

My father's side of the family has a horrendous history of heart disease; I
can't change that.  But if I can educate myself about lifestyle choices
that may do some balancing of my odds, I don't feel such a victim of my
heritage.

I don't grab every new "study" that comes out about reducing the risk of
heart disease.  I do my own "study" and digest all of the research that I
see, coming out with what I believe will help my cause. And looking at my
own family, I see that the way that family members handled stress is
definitely one factor. I grew up there, so I have to work at changing the
patterns. It is something that I can do. And the choices are good even if
they don't prevent my developing heart disease.

I read an article on the Reuters News Service this week about the role of
stress in breast cancer. This is a good example of "studies-show..." flaws.
Here are two lines from the report:

"Contradicting earlier reports that suggested severe stress increases a
woman's risk of developing breast cancer, a British study has found no such
link.
...
Family history of breast cancer, an established risk factor for the
disease, did not increase risk in this study."

What does that final sentence do to your confidence in this study?

Stress is a normal part of life.  How we deal with it can affect our
overall health. Learning to not "sweat the small stuff," nurturing
supportive relationships, forgiving and letting go, finding joy and meaning
in our lives, and taking care of our bodies the best we know how--all
strengthen our immune systems and, when we do become ill (as we will),
these patterns help us to heal. These choices must be made on an
*individual* level.

So, the problem, as I see it, is not the commitment to healthy lifestyles
and individual responsibility for health, but the propensity to blame.
When a person becomes ill, it is time for compassion and caring--and
remembering how much we don't know.  And, for me, it's a time for a renewed
commitment to do what I can, with the knowledge that I have, to take care
of my health.

Pat Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee, Wisconsin


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