Evo Magz v4.7

a medical student in the late 1980's, I recall being lectured on the importance of medical research. We were told the results of such work would occasionally lead us in directions that were not anticipated. We were also reminded of the importance of analyzing the results critically and comprehensively without bias and following them wherever they might lead. At the time the advice seemed obvious, but in the years since I have come to appreciate such action is not always easy.

I believe that my personal health journey has relevant public health implications and reinforces why we must pay attention to research, even when such results may bring into question current dogma, and even implicate our culture.

A doctor at risk
Several years ago, at the time of my routine physical exam, my doctor informed me that I was prediabetic and my LDL (bad) cholesterol was elevated. I was also obese. As a physician in my mid-40’s at the time, I was quite aware that these were risk factors for premature death. I was feeling much more like a patient--quite vulnerable, concerned, and helpless.

When my doctor gave me the prescription, it was simply for healthy lifestyle changes. He suggested I read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., which I promptly did, and which thankfully changed my life......for the better. It also provided me with a different lens through which to view some of the greatest challenges that face the medical profession.

Adopting a plant-based, whole foods diet as advocated by Dr. Campbell, and a regular exercise and stress reduction program (as described in publications by Dr. Dean Ornish), I was able to lose more than 50 pounds, "cure" my prediabetes, lower my LDL cholesterol to the normal range, and lower my total cholesterol by approximately 40 mg/dL to under 150. My body inflammation (a risk factor for heart attack), as measured by a lab test called C-reactive protein (CRP), also improved significantly. I was sold.

Changing his health fate
In my family, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke are frequent co- morbidities and have resulted in much premature death. "The China Study" research clearly demonstrates that these diseases and many others, including cancers that frequently occur in Americans, are preventable in most cases, since diet and lifestyle generally "trump genes." In my opinion, we doctors, although well-intentioned, spend considerable time evaluating patients’ family medical histories, often leaving them with the misconception that their genes hold their likely destinies. Simply put, the diseases that are responsible for the deaths of most Americans can be prevented by a healthy diet and lifestyle in the majority of cases.

The New York Times has referred to "The China Study" as the largest and most comprehensive ever undertaken on the relationship between dietary patterns and development of disease. In rural areas of China, the mean total cholesterol was 127 mg/dL. Rates of chronic disease were generally much lower than in the United States. Interestingly, when these rural Chinese populations migrate to Western countries and adopt our diet and lifestyle, their rates of chronic disease soar to Western levels.