Introduction
Life is full of ironies; particularly as it relates to health. It is often difficult to predict who will become sick and who will remain healthy. To illustrate this point, let's consider the following examples from my own life. One colleague, John, has been the picture of good health throughout the many years I have known him. Now in his early fifties, John is a college professor who truly enjoys what he does. I see him working out at the gym regularly, and at social functions we've attended together, he eats only fruits, whole grains, and vegetables. He is happily married and has two healthy daughters. He doesn't smoke and drinks only an occasional glass of wine. Based on this brief description of his lifestyle, one might predict that John enjoys good health. Unfortunately, he recently learned from his doctor that he has an advanced case of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest forms of this disease. Let's contrast John's lifestyle with the health practices of another person I've known about the same length of time. Paul is a banker and always seems to be stressed out. About the same age as John, Paul works long hours, weekends, and rarely takes a break from his work. He is divorced, has smoked cigarettes for about twenty years, and is a heavy drinker. Yet, he is in excellent health and hasn't missed a day of work in years.
--Robert A. Baron
Chapter Contents
