Western Diseases

Explores the causes, prevention and reversibility of Western diseases. The book draws attention to the fact that not only are many diseases potentially preventable, but many are actually reversible without recourse to drugs or surgery.

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In Western Diseases Norman Temple and Denis Burkitt have convened a panel of world-renowned epidemiologists, nutritionists, and public health experts to explore the causes, prevention, and reversibility of developed Western societies' major diseases - cancer, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and obesity. Out of their findings they develop concrete policy proposals for the promotion of better public health that could save many lives, as well as reducing the great sums now spent for treatment of these largely preventable diseases. The distinguished writers here examine in detail the impact on Western health of our highly refined, meat-based, diet - rich in fat, cholesterol, and salt, but low in fiber - using, where necessary, cross-cultural data to enhance our understanding. They then explore the role of diet in chronic degenerative diseases and the effects of vitamins and minerals on cancer, hypertension, and other illnesses. And finally, they discuss the possibility of reversing certain of these diseases by dietary means. Western Diseases continues the ground-breaking work begun in Burkitt's earlier classics on the diseases of development.
The insights of this latest extension imply that many major changes in the way Western medicine is practiced are needed, and that these may have incalculable effects in reducing what are the preventable and reversible diseases linked to Western diets.