I doubt people are really that materialistic. I believe that science and progress go side by side. Think about it, if you got cancer in the 50s your odds of survival would be far worse than what they would be in the present day.

Just because chronic diseases haven't been fully conquered, it doesn't mean that no progress has been made at all. If you read medical journals you'll see that small victories happen every day. We haven't conquered death and we probably never will, but in industrialistic countries people now can live up to hundred years old whereas only a century ago or so they were lucky to reach 50 years.

If we look way back in time, it's quite obvious that in 1300 a.d. people weren't very healthy at all. If you got sick you either died or got better ("it's a miracle!"). But mostly everyone just died. Compared to that I think we're doing really fine. The progress we're making is brilliant, but you have to give it some time. =)

This is a problem mostly in America. The average American only lives about 80 years. Chronic diseases are on the rise rather than decline and misdiagnoses is reported to be near 80%. Asians, on the other hand, live past 90 and have a cure for Diabetes, an herbal combination called Diamaxol.
I have research the side effects of many drugs and they far outweigh the benefits. Exammple; Cholesterol medication (statins) causes muscle pain, tissue damage, liver problems, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headaches and skin rash.
All drugs are bad for you. Most are the cause of the diseases we suffer. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, stated "Let your food be your medicine, let your medicine be your food."

Hmmm... There are no doubt many things that affect the health of people living in different environments. Diet is one thing, lifestyle definitely is one as well and genetics might have something to do with it too. What might work for the Asian people might not work as well for the Americans. *shrugs*

In any case I still think that without the modern medical discoveries we'd still be dying of tuberculosis and plague.

Speaking of which, the Black Death alone wiped at least 75 million people to oblivion in Europe alone. Fortunately today we have technology that can help us prevent such a pandemic from happening again. AIDS might not (yet) be cured with medication only, but we understand how the virus works. I think this alone is definitely a positive thing. As long as there is life there is hope... And there are always people who are sincerely altruistic in their quest for finding a cure. =)

You know that in ages past, people used herbs that battled diseases. Herbs that have since then been exterminated in the humans' need for city expansion or agricultural development.
Herbs that were free.

Back in the 1300's, there was no cancer. Offcourse people can say "But it just wasn't seen as cancer back then!" but I beg to differ. Cancer has only popped up since we started using radiowaves in order to send information back and forth.
It's a man-made condition.

Sure, many people died before their 30's back in the 1300. But life was tough back then. There were no machines to take up the heavy lifting. There was no doctor going: "Oh, you really need to take care of that back. Go sit at home and get some paid leave while you recover". When you were sick, you either got up out of bed and continued working, or you weren't able to provide for your family.

The thing which is bothering me, and I think ReddFurr as well, is why the medical science isn't eliminating the children's diseases first. It's only gonna take a year or so to eradicate the measles. That would save a lot of children some icky times.
It's a lot easier to eliminate those and then work on the heavier diseases than try and understand the heavier diseases and figure out they don't know jack shit about it yet and need to study for years and years and years.

The thing is: The pharmaceutical industry is making money. And it likes making money. It's not going to fund some researcher who will get them out of business with their research.

The scientists argue that the reason "there was no cancer" in the 1300 is that people didn't live long enough to die from it. As gruesome as it sounds, cancer is a natural way for us humans to die. Also, in medieval times there was no way of diagnosing cancer either.

I guess the reason measels isn't eradicated by medicine is that this disease is not lethal and if people have it when they're young they will be immune to it when they grow up. This disease has been tamed, so to speak. Vaccines against both measels and smallpox have been available since the 60s but many doctors think that it's better to rely on body's natural resistance than vaccines.

And when it comes to natural medicine, natural ingredients are used in the production of many modern day pills and cures (like aspirin). Using herbs might work as well, but estimating the right dosage can be very hard.

But I agree that there are no doubt numerous ethical issues doctors should bring up in medical journals. Sometimes these issues make hot topics for international seminars, but money will always play a some part. It won't stop people from being innovative, though. Not all funds come from big money-making firms. There are universities and foundations... A state might grant money for researchers in order to improve the health of its citizens.

Cancer is not natural. It is caused by toxins in the body. The primary reason more people have it now is because of the artificial ingredients in the food supply, things that didn't exist in the 1300's.
Herbs work far better in their natural form. They contain complex nutrients that the body requires. Another reason we are sick is because of modified foods. For example Natural sugar contains many vitamins and minerals, but the sugar you find in the foods has been "purified" to contain more sucrose, glucose and no nutritional value.
If you believe we evolved in this world or that this world was made for us, it stands to reason that things are in their natural state for a reason. You are what you eat.

You must also realize that the journals, schools and governments are out to make money also. Money has stopped innovation in the past. That is why we continued to use fossil fuels even though ethanol has been available for decades. Innovation is not always profitable.

But isn't it natural that the cells of the human body age and turn even into malicious ones when our bodily systems get old? It's true that toxins speed up the process, but it goes without saying that the modern people are healthier than people back in the 12th century. Our lifestyle might not always be very healthy, but we have the potential to care for our health if we want and many diseases can be cured.

It has always bugged me, that when it comes to energy related issues it's the firms like Exxon that stand in the way of progress and a cleaner future. But I think it would be wrong to think that the same thing goes for every other matter and that all progress is halted by firms that make big money.

My main point is that in just a couple of hundred years our technology has advanced immensly. It should be celebrated - even though there are still tons of things we could make better. We haven't by no means stopped from trying to make the world a better place. And who knows what the Earth will be like in 50 years from now? It's possible that things will go to worse, but we can't know yet. And that's why we gotta keep up fighting.

I rather donate my money to Amensty International or Greenpeace than buy ten kilos of porn magazines (heh - although that might be fun too), because I believe we can make a difference.

Cells do not naturally turn malicious, they simply die. The body grows new cells to replace the dead ones. The reason we die (of natural causes) is because not all cells in the body can be regrown, such as bone and nerves. When the body has toxins the new cells will be made from them, malignant cells. If the body lacks nutrients the new cells will be weak or not grow at all, malnutrition.
The medical industry is the most profitable on earth. They spend the most money on advertising and lobbyists giving them the most influence over media and government. If any industry is open to corruption it is medicin.

But isn't aging widely considered to be one of the biggest carcinogens? According to the American Cancer Society nearly 80 percent of cancers are diagnosed after age 55.

Just some days ago I read this journal about the recent findings conserning cancer and a potential way to cure it with stem cells, but not being an expert in this field myself I've already forgotten quite a bit of it. =P

Even though the medical industry is profitable and there is occasionally reason to suspect that people tend to be involved in it just for the money, it's no reason to feel pathologically pessimistic about things and give up hoping altogether.

I've already stated that 80% of all diagnosis in the US is wrong. Just last week I saw a program about misdiagnosis. In one story doctors told a woman that she was cheating on her diet. It turned out she had a cancer on her adrenal gland that affected her cortisol. It caused her to gain weight, made her hair oily and affected her skin.

This isn't about hope it's about the truth. There are cures out there and they are not drugs. You can be healthy and live to be a hundred but not if you simply believe what you are told.

I don't think it's that simple. Tv documents are often very sensationalistic. Especially when they claim something like that. It's undoubtedly true that some diagnosis are wrong. But 80%? I just can't find it in me to believe that, even though the American healthcare is very different from that of Finland.

Some people can live to be hundred years old even if they spent their entire life on porn, cigarettes and alcohol, but not everyone - no matter how healthy lives they lead. I'd say that in order to live long you gotta have good genetics, healthy habits, good doctors and some luck.

The New York Times reported that autopsies found the number of Fatal misdiagnoses in the US is 20%. Most illnesses are not fatal so you can easily estimate other misdiagnoses to be extremely high, likely far above 80%.
A little know fact is that doctors (In the US at least) get bonuses for prescribing name brand drugs. Most doctors simply prescribe a drug because it will put money in their pocket. In my own experience I went in because of a cold and was prescribed an antibiotic. I later learned that antibiotics have no effect on viruses such as the common cold. I know from others that when they go in because of the cold or flu they are also given an Antibiotic.
It is quite possible to be healthy and live for a century but it is not by luck. Healthy habits and knowledge are the key.

http://www.isabelhealthcare.com/inf.....wyorktime.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibiotic

I think luck plays a great part. For example in case you get ran over by a truck, you're more likely to die than if the truck ran over some other guy instead. =D

And sometimes a small child suffers from leukemia and no one knows why. Sometimes children are born disabled, sometimes a dormant malfunction of some sort might make itself known in later life. There is little to be done to prevent such things from happening. =(

You might be right about the antibiotics. They are often prescribed too hastily. But as for me, I'm very happy with my country's healthcare. Most of the time I don't have to pay a thing. The Finnish doctors have helped me by diagnosing my allergies and getting rid of them. I've been cured from a rotten tooth to pneumonia and tinnitus. So far my body hasn't come up with anything the doctors hadn't been able to fix. *knocks on wood*

Finland's health care system is a world away from the US system. Even with insurance my doctor visit cost $120 and the prescription was $80. To top that my insurer only applied $100 of the visit to my deductible because that is what the visit should have cost. Doctors here can charge you any price they want. I had been out of work for 3 days and couldn't return until I got a doctor's note. It's like blackmail. Money and medicine creates a huge conflict of interest.

Aw, I'm sorry to hear that! Your medical care system could really use some improvement, but I'm sure you guys know that already. =(

My home country is rather small and wealthy. Our social security is altogether pretty good. I guess that's one of the reasons I've learned to trust doctors. For me it feels awkward to think that professional doctors are capable of charging such outrageous sums from people. =/

I hear a possible cure for cancer was discovered awhile ago. The pharmaceuticals refuse to fund its research because it's cheap to produce.

There are many cures for Cancer and the Nobel Prize was awarded for finding the cause.

Cancer is caused by toxins in the body. To put it simply "you are what you eat." Cancer cells result when normal cells use the toxins to grow or reproduce.

The cure is Detox, a diet of foods that cleanse the body and procedures such as Colon Hydrotherapy (colonic irrigation).

Y'know, as it so happens, my chiropractor is giving me a referral for a blood test to test for food allergies. I'm hoping to use that as a basis for better wellbeing overall. I'll have to check out some herbal supplements while I'm at it. And yeah, I've heard that colon health is extremely important to your overall health, but naturally, you never hear about it.

Avoid artificial ingredients, especially food coloring, high fructose corn syrup and most of all artificial sweeteners as they can cause death.

Investigate the side effects and uses of all medication you are given or, like me, don't go to the 'drug dealing doctors' at all. All drugs have side effects and many are given needlessly. For example; Antibiotics cause liver damage and they do not kill viruses.