Disconnections

In the Global North, there is no arguing that our lifestyles are leading to increased rates of heart disease, stroke and cancer. Before the advent of antibiotics, most deaths were due to communicable disease. With the advent of antibiotics and the trillions spent on medical research we now have some of the best advances in healthcare. So it would logically follow, that we should be the healthiest we have ever been, right?

So why, oh why, are we seeing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and obesity on the rise?

The causes are multi-layered and diverse but I believe there is one underlying reason which underpins all of this:

We as human beings have lost connection with ourselves and the world we inhabit.

Here is a list, in no particular order, of some of those reasons. All overlapping and interconnected.

The foundational imbalance in society.

So much of the food we eat in the Global North is either highly refined, chemically enhanced, laced with hormones, or deplete of vitamins. And those in the Global South are now starting to change their food patterns as capitalism colonises economies.

This food is cheap. It has no nutritional value, is addictive and this leads to obesity and paradoxically, under-nourishment.

There is unequal access to healthy, fresh foods. Foods closer to the whole product, is more expensive.

Increasingly there are parts of the world with no access to food at all or with an insecure source. This will only worsen with global warming and wars that will disproportionately affect those in the global South and will lead to mass migration. Leading to worsening food inequality all around the world.

There is more money spent on weapons testing and development than medical research.

Screens that assist with tasks to make life easier are addictive and many spend whole days sat in from of them. This is affecting sleep cycles.

Screens fool us into thinking we are connecting with people.

There is a loss of physical communities.

Less time spent is being spent meaningfully in nature. Less time is spent moving.

The loss of natural spaces through development and deforestation. With the double whammy of climate change. The loss of respect for our own habitats.

The Selfishness of human beings.

Loss of the sense of duty to the earth we have inherited.

Loss of the duty of care we have to all beings.

Loss of connection with each other.

Loss of the sense of connection, spiritual depth and meaning to life that our ancestors held.

Entitlement culture.

Unrealistic expectations.

The need for a quick fix.

Loss of connection to our own bodies.

Inability to sense basic needs within.

Obsession with changing and fighting the inevitability of living: ageing, death and dying.

Over-medicalisation.

There are cracks in our societies.

Change is coming. From somewhere deep within us all. Look at the money spent on wellbeing. As health declines, more money is spent on wellbeing. Eventually, people will realise that the money they have spent will not get to the root of their being. Cracks are where light comes in. But we are papering up those cracks instead of looking into them. Something deeper than wellbeing is needed. And that is connection.

When there is connection. There is a sense of belonging.

Purpose and Vision. A set of values and beliefs embedded in Justice.

Connection to land, communities, heritage. A recognition of the need for stewardship.

We can see ourselves in others.

Respect for all living beings.

Respect for creativity and self-expression.

Lifestyles that honour the body, mind and spirit.

Connection to the body itself.

We create firm foundations

Modernity is a longing for deeper connection

Modern medicine is truly a gift. An amazing set of tools that can be used to support the very sickest in our societies. But that does not negate from the fact that we need to take responsibility for our own health. And I believe that this can really only come from entering deep into relationship with ourselves and the world around us.

Photo credit: freestocks