Despite the fact that our human race is plagued by more chronic health and weight problems than ever in recorded human history, many people are under the impression that we are doing better than ever in our health and medical advances. In many discussions centered on health and longevity, it is all too common to hear arguments that our extended lifespan today is a sign of how well we are doing where health matters are concerned.

For many people in our society, a sign of positive progress is having more drugs available to “tackle” every possible symptom and medical machines to scan, slice, and probe us like some science experiment specimens. Many people see nothing wrong with the fact that most people are on some kind of medication today, and erroneously think that the medication has cured them, all the while it is just suppressing their symptoms. However, as new studies and statistics emerge, they have more of us acknowledging the elephant in the room.

The world has made huge progress fighting killer infectious diseases, but as a result we now lead longer and sicker lives, with health problems that cause us years of pain, disability and mental distress.

A Sick World: We Live Longer, With More Pain and Illness — Reuters, December 2012

Sure, we are living long lives today, with many people pushing past 80, 90, and even 100! However, we are living with a worse quality of health, and life in general due to our dependencies on pharmaceutical drugs and medical procedures. When most people cannot survive without being on multiple pharmaceutical drugs, when young people are experiencing cancers and chronic health conditions that used to be unheard of until old age, when mental health and cognitive decline is affecting an increasing number of people in all adult-age demographics, we need to acknowledge that something has gone seriously wrong in our society. This sobering truth makes us consider some tough facts as to the quality of the life most live with, and the numerous costs involved with living “longer, but sicker” lives. To address these facts, let’s examine some of the root causes of why we are where we are today, and possible solutions that can pave the way to a more harmonious and advanced future for all.

A Study Shines Some Dimming Light

The article from Reuters mentioned in the quote above was written to reflect the results of a 5 year study that was concluded by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at Washington University. The study was the largest systematic effort to quantify world health levels and trends, and involved more than 480 researchers from 302 institutions and 50 countries.The findings of The Global Burden of Disease study concluded the following:

• Countries face a wave of financial and social costs from rising numbers of people living with disease and injury
• Malnutrition has dropped down the rankings as a cause of death and illness, but the effects of excessive eating are taking its place
• Smoking and alcohol use have overtaken child hunger to become the second and third leading health risks, behind high blood pressure
• The major health problems now are diseases and conditions that don’t kill, but make us ill

And how is this for a sobering fact: the study shares that over three million deaths globally were attributable in 2010 to excess body weight, more than three times as many as malnutrition.

Chronic diseases are the number one debilitating agents and killers in modern society. According to the research, in 2010 about 12.9 million deaths were due to stroke and heart disease, conditions amplified by eating and drinking too much, smoking and getting too little exercise. Likewise, 10 million people worldwide will have a diagnosis of cancer, a disease commonly believed to be preventable. As the research paper, Cancer is a Preventable Disease that Requires Major Lifestyle Changes shares, “only 5–10% of all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle.

More Progress, Less Health

Does the above sound like the signs of a technologically advanced society, or one that should be proud of its advances and progress? To me a thriving population is made up of people who are healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Sure, there can be some rare problems, but today being in perfect health is almost non-existent. When we look outside our doors today, in our schools, workplaces, and public settings, we see anything but a thriving population. We see human bodies that show various states of neglect and disease. We see debilitating states of aging. We see widespread depression, anxiety, and mental disorders. Most people cannot get through the day without consuming some external stimulants because energy levels are so poor and depleted. We cannot focus or concentrate, we have trouble with memory, rational thinking, and logic, and are all-too-often completely numb to life.

The irony is that we have more information, more food, more supplements, more pharmaceuticals, and medical care than ever, and yet we are sicker than ever. When we look at nature and all animals, as long as there is no human interference, which is becoming rarer today, they are thriving and not exhibiting any of our chronic, or even acute conditions. Yet we, as another animal in the Animal Kingdom, appear to have forgotten how to eat and live. We forgot what is meant by health and happiness, and what our purpose here is. In light of all this, it is hard to see a world that is progressing for the better. What is more evident is a world that is just getting by and one which is trying to sell a poor human health case scenario as something positive. We can do so much better. We have such amazing potential, yet we have forgotten it and are failing to apply ourselves as healthy and well-adjusted beings.

It it worth investigating how we got to this point. When and where did things start to go so downhill? Our Earth is a beautiful place and we have created some amazing things that have propelled the human species forward. We could be thriving. But as it seems, bad habits die hard, and despite the fact that we are living amidst the information age, most in our society still choose to keep their ears and eyes shut, neglecting the overwhelming amount of solid information we have on how to turn our destructive ways around and live in a healthy and balanced human state.

Most of the problems we face today can be traced back to the 20th century. The factory farming, the chemically-driven agriculture and personal care industries, the inventions of processed and fast food, the heavy promotion of animal food, the numbing way of life focused on external sources of happiness, social media, the glorification of addictive substances, and a society that values doing, instead of being. Sure, we can point fingers, but as I will share below, that only keep us spinning our wheels in the mud and going nowhere. What is done is done. We all, in one way or another, bought into the conditioning of the last century that may have had the right ideas, but perhaps did not foresee how disastrously the consequences would play out. Today, the consequences are undeniable, and it is time to do something about it.

Solutions for Real Longevity

So what is the solution to the dilemma we find ourselves in? For starters, it is not about complaining or waiting for governments or organizations to initiate a change. This has to come from us because at the end of the day, while large governing bodies have a huge influence in how life in society plays out, we are the ones who choose what we will eat, drink, and place into and onto our bodies. We vote with our money, which is much more powerful than any political elections, every single time we make any kind of purchase. The organizations are not putting unhealthy food in our mouth. We are choosing what we will buy, pay for, and ingest. They are not putting drugs into your system. We are choosing to allow ourselves to go on pharmaceutical medications, more often than not, when simple lifestyle changes would treat or improve our health conditions.

As long as we put the blame outside of ourselves, we remain weak and powerless victims. But we are so much more than that. We simply don’t realize how powerful we really are if we choose to empower ourselves and make conscious choices that are in our best interest. At the end of the day, it all comes down to you and what choices you make. This is not about feeling guilty or regretting what was, but about making small, yet significant changes, one step at a time in your life to get yourself onto a healthier and happier track of life. It is a powerful precursor for change when we have an “enough!” moment in our lives that jolts us out of conditioned habits. Sometimes, unfortunately, it takes undesirable circumstances to make us fed up and finally initiate some change. Until we have our personal moment of “enough,” we usually are not motivated enough as lucrative, alluring, and addictive content, food, and other substances are all around us, everywhere we look. Consider the people who are going in for heart surgery and having a fast food meal on their way to the hospital; so strong is the spell of modern addiction and convenience. As such, each of us needs to have our own unique time when we feel ready and pushed to change.

In those moments, when we see clearly the consequences of our actions, all excuses that made so much sense up to this time seem to vanish and fade. We begin to connect the dots between our choices and the outcomes we are creating for ourselves. Yes, it is scary at first and overwhelming, but on the other side of such a personal transformation, it is empowering and rejuvenating! We come into awareness that our life is created by us — our choices and actions, and instantly begin to make different decisions.

Our solutions are not on television, or in any book, or teacher. Sure there is some great material out there, and great people who can inspire us, but ultimately everything we need to choose a new path is within. Again if we just look at nature, we see the clarity with which each animal lives. There is no confusion, no “not knowing”. No one should have to tell you that you are working too hard for material stuff that holds no inherent value, or because you are trying so hard to fit in with the status quo. No one needs to tell you that you are eating unhealthy. You know, and more importantly you know what you need to feed yourself with—real, whole food. No one needs to tell you that you should be making your own food. You know when you are lazy and unmotivated because other societal distractions are luring you in their direction.

No matter who you are and how you look at things, it all comes down to you. Every moment that you choose to ignore the bigger issues that are lurking around in your mind, you create your own suffering. It may seem tough to face these things, but trust me that it is much tougher in the long run not to. We need to stop pushing away and suppressing what is begging for our attention with mind numbing entertainment, toxic drinks, and nutrient deficient foods. The quality of the food and water you consume is directly related to the quality of your physical body. Don’t like what you see? Change your ways. You will see your body start to reflect your new choices almost immediately. In the same way we must take the quality of our mental and emotional well-being seriously. You cannot watch mind numbing, violence and drama depicting programming and expect to be a happy person who has a calm, sharp, and focused mind. It just doesn’t work that way. The quality of your relationships, level of inner peace and joy all reflect the state of your mind. Don’t like what you see? Change your ways. We have more than enough resources to support each and every one of us on our journey today to make better choices for the state of our overall health and happiness. But you have to take action, not just think about it, and ponder what could or should be. The Universe will always support you when you move towards love and positive evolution, but it is you who always has to take the first step.

A Path to Optimal Longevity

In the end, we must understand that our choice does not come down to choosing between a short, healthy lifespan, or a long, unhealthy lifespan. The choice is also not between accepting or rejecting the modern medical system. We have many better choices in between all extreme positions to choose from. One of the most obvious is choosing to have a long life span in excellent physical, mental and emotional health. For many people this idea is not yet conceivable, but each day an increasing number of people are finding out for themselves what healthy living really is and transforming their bodies, their homes, and their families one different choice at a time.

As we awaken and grow in conscious awareness, we are starting to realize that we are fully responsible for the state of our health at any given time. It is not something given or taken away on some passing whim. But we need to come to that awareness ourselves. No one can force it upon you. To get there, yes we will have to ask ourselves some tough questions, consider those things which we conveniently keep pushing away, and above all—stop making excuses and blaming external forces.

Each one of us must take bold and conscious steps to re-assess our life, most importantly our lifestyles. For example, if you don’t have time to eat properly and feel like you must rely on fast or processed food, the solution is not to have the companies make healthier options, but to have you re-prioritize your life. This is how you take back your health and your personal power. It is time to make optimal nourishment of the body, as well as the mind and spirit a priority. It is time to value states of stillness, silence, and being, rather than mindless running around, scrolling, constant noise, and doing. The fact that many of us choose to spend our time on things that hold no value where our health and happiness are concerned is, still, our choice, and when we have had “enough” of that, we can choose a healthier way to live.

Let’s step up to the plate and choose to say yes to YOU and yes to LIFE. Release what was, and whatever choices you made in the past. Forgive yourself, forgive the system, forgive society. Any day you choose, you get to start fresh and start creating a life that is based on optimal health and longevity through the healthy choices you make. It will be a unique, and at times complex, journey for each person, but a journey worth taking so that as your lifetime progresses, you are not looking at a future based on countless pharmaceuticals, medical procedures, despair, and disability. Rather, you are looking at a fit body, sharp mind and joyful spirit that enjoys all of its days of physical life, right up to the very last moment. The choice is always yours to make.