The Black Death of our times

[Michael_00005]

A new documentary called “iThrive” available to watch 2/27/2018; especially important if you are dealing with diabetes or obesity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... Anun_45Mow

He gives an informative 30 minute talk on the subject here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdersV3Vyyk

Everyone living or planning ER, should at a minimum self-educate in 3 areas of disease.
1. Heart disease
2. Diabetes
3. Cancer

[TopHatFox]

Didn't watch the video, but I don't think these compare. The black plague is just something you got and didn't have much of a say besides moving far away. Those 3 can be mostly prevented with a nutritious diet, healthy environment, and exercise

[Jason]

I guess this makes Wilford Brimley the Christ figure of our times.

[jacob]

@THF - Even people who moved far away eventually got it. I read somewhere (I think it was Gibbon) that when the Black Death first entered Sicily, people in England quickly learned about it and could follow the outbreak as it drew closer and closer to finally hit several years later. There were nowhere to run. Even then, with a population 15x lower than today, population density was high enough for the vectors to do their "job". Plague still exists today (cases happen from time to time in the US SW), but people have much better nutrition and access to working antibiotics, so survival rates are very high.

Otherwise, I agree. Lifestyle diseases are not infectious.

[Jason]

Symbolically speaking, the affects of The Black Plague are depicted in the artistic renderings of God (Europe was predominantly Christian). Before the plague, the portrayals of Christ depicted a robust, majestic king, residing in Heaven. During and after, He was portrayed as an emaciated, suffering servant hanging from a cross. I guess its similar to the before and after pictures of people used in marketing weight loss programs except with the message reversed. Either way, there is no comparison. Maybe use the Syphillis (Great Pox) epidemic of the 16th century where behavior played a factor.

The plague comparison has been used in describing the AIDS epidemic of the 80's i.e. the documentary "How To Survive a Plague." However, I'm not convinced of the accuracy of that comparison as the disease was concentrated in a certain segment of the population and for the most part, could be avoided through behavioral modifications and improvements in health industry practices.