don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

For all those seeking an alternative to self-responsibility -- or at least another excuse as to why they don't practice anything remotely akin to a wellness lifestyle -- a new potential explanation has surfaced in the media, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal (1/9/01).

In an article entitled "Scientist Says Germs, Not Genes, Cause Heart Disease, Mental Illness," zoologist Paul W. Ewald, a 47-year-old Amherst College biology professor and leader of a group promoting evolutionary medicine, suggests mainstream doctors are fixated on genes and lifestyle. This, Ewald and company declare, leads doctors and health promotion zealots like yours truly to overlook the chief cause of heart disease and other chronic illnesses of humankind, namely, germs! So, there you go. You caught worseness when that little brat sneezed all over you at the day care center.

This seems to be an updated edition of the germ theory of disease, which decades ago explained the advent of polio, smallpox, tuberculosis, and other perennial scourges. Recently, peptic ulcers were linked to a germ of sorts, namely, helicobacter pylori bacterium. Now such ulcers are treated with antibiotics, rather than quaffing gallons of milk, which might have created a new set of problems. Then there's cervical cancer, traced to the human papillomavirus, which also causes genital warts -- another germ more or less. Ewald cites these cases as proof that genetics, environments and yes, lifestyles have been over-sold as the key variables in heart disease and other chronic conditions.

Ewald has written a book about all this, entitled Plague Time: How Stealth Infections Cause Cancers, Heart Disease, and Other Deadly Ailments. In it, he traces the history of medicine from the bubonic plague to the Human Genome Project. His basic position is that heart disease, cancer, and many mental illnesses stem mainly from evolving germs, not bad genes. He does not really disagree with the idea of diseases as a delicate interplay of many factors, including genes and behaviors over time, such as smoking, lack of exercise, and high fat diets. But he insists that germs have to be looked at, as well.

His main point seems to be that the establishment is so hypnotized by the watchworks of human genetics and lifestyle that it overlooks evolutionary germs.

The WSJ article noted that scientists intrigued by Mr. Ewald's theories are wary of his broad claims and go on to list their concerns. These include references to overwhelming evidence for a close connection between cancer and mutations of genes that control cell growth. Without the gene mutations, the vast majority of cancers would not occur, say the objectors. Some cardiologists say they have searched in vain for germs that could cause cardiovascular disease.

Steve Jonas, physician/medical school professor/prolific author/athlete extraordinaire/coach and most impressive of all, AWR subscriber, takes a very dim view of all this. He said it's all very old stuff. In fact, here is exactly what the good doctor Jonas communicated to me about Mr. Ewald and his ideas:

"After the Germ Theory of Disease was explicated, there were those who thought that it explained everything. It doesn't. The unfortunate thing is that people like Mr. Ewald come along every now and again and manage to get themselves attention, just like the genetic-race theorists (the 'Bell Curve' duo were just thoroughly debunked Shockley warmed over, but that didn't make any difference for the WSJ, among others), the 'there's-no-such-thing-as-mental-illness' theorists, the 'HIV has-nothing-to-do-with-AIDS' theorists, 'the flat-earthers, the 'overweight-is-all-in-the-genes' theorists, the 'one-size-fits-all' weight-loss theorists, and so on and so forth. I don't have either the time or the interest to get into it about this guy."

"Heaven forbid having to take some responsibility for one's health," that's what I say. By the way, it's not just laymen who do this. Remember The Exercise Myth, written by a college classmate of mine, Henry Solomon, MD, in the 80s, saying not only that exercise wasn't good for you, it was actually bad for you? It's probably time for someone to re-circulate that idea right about now, don't you think? Hey, want to write a book together?

Instead of Flip Wilson's "the Devil made me do it" theory (smoke, whatever), the Ewald theory seems to give those interested a chance to blame the germ. I don't know -- sounds like a topic for a lot more research and, if needed, debunking. A scholarly friend (and doctoral candidate) Wendy Shore of Orlando notes, "How about adding that people who exercise are less susceptible to germs -- so even if germs DO play a part, fitness still is important." Just can't get away from it. Also, there are far too many diseases that are clearly helped by fitness -- diabetes is the first one that comes to mind. As you know, regular exercise can mitigate the need for drugs. So, one would almost be tempted to say 'So what if germs do cause it -- exercise can alleviate it -- whatever it is!'

Meanwhile, stick with a healthy lifestyle, for I personally believe a wellness philosophy will lead you to attitudes and behaviors that should be sufficient. Sufficient, that is, to ward off any low level worseness germs that might be out there, ready to cause you to smoke, drink to excess, adopt sedentary habits, vote Republican, or engage in some other nasty habit that will ruin your good disposition and possibly your chances for a satisfying life consistent with your vast potentials. Enjoy and be well, and don't think you'll die of a heart attack if someone sneezes near you. You may, but not necessarily. Or likely.

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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