With the emergence of DNA technology, there is much to learn about who we humans are. I believe the world is so much more than one's own backyard, and ancestry kits are becoming a hot commodity in satisfying our boundless curiosity. Unfortunately, with all these exciting new discoveries, of who your great-great-great-grandfather may have been, can come unwanted news. You may discover your likelihood of contracting disease.
The good news is, with every discovery comes a way of intervening and preventing the disease. Or there is the possibility of finding much more suitable and comfortable treatments. Rather than carpet bombing healthy cells with chemotherapy treatments, for example stem cells can fire at cancer with accuracy and precision like snipers, thereby leaving only the cancer affected.
Obesity and Diabetes
Looking at health trends over time, significantly within the last 20 to 30 years, we can see rapidly climbing rates of obesity and diabetes. Obesity is extreme overweight, and the two phenomena are very closely linked. Obesity is not the only cause of diabetes
There is an important distinction, however, between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Many Americans are diagnosed with these, and they have a very personal connection to the subject. There is so much to understand about food-borne illness that many people take for granted. So many things factor into healthy eating that should be considered.
Consumerism and Economy
With the exponential increase in what we can afford to produce, the world's economy has shifted from production to consumption. In many wealthy areas, people can afford to go out and buy food. We no longer rely nearly as much on growing it right out of the ground, because we can store it for later.
There are pitfalls to this which can lead to overconsumption and there are many factors like this playing a part in diseases. If we eat too much sugar, we may rot out our teeth, but we may also consume more than our bodies can handle, and this creates the possibility of organ failure. It is ultimately organ failure which leads to type 1 diabetes.
DNA and Heredity
With a DNA kit, anybody can discover important links to their genetics and their health. Many diseases, including both types of diabetes, have a genetic component. Unfortunately, many people are genetically predisposed to them. Another vicious disease passed down through generations is cancer.
All types of cancer can run in families, and this creates room for discoveries in health, and enacting of preventative plans and procedures. If someone can catch cancer early in a radiology lab, it can be surgically removed and hopefully it no longer grows out of control. The essence of cancer is uncontrolled cell growth.
Healthcare and Medicine
Since genetics and DNA are so new, there is much that can be learned about how to treat particular diseases. Some stem cell research has offered treatments at much cheaper and easier rates than complex and debilitating surgery, for instance. For some people, they have limited options. Other treatments may be more accessible in other countries, but the impact of travel can be too much to afford.
This leaves an important task for organizing and maintaining good personal care; and perhaps lends an argument to volunteering to help mitigate crises before they are out of hand. DNA reports can be analyzed to show if a certain population is affected by certain diseases and from this information make treatment more possible. No expense should be spared to make quality healthcare for patients more affordable everywhere.
Obstacles and Complications
Certain diseases may be more prevalent among certain climates and racial or ethnic groups. Malaria is one example of such a disease. In hot, humid, climates there is an increase in the breeding of mosquitoes which carry the disease over long distances and in extremely large numbers. More people are killed by the mosquito than any other creature due to its capacity for disease transmission.
As the world shrinks with more and more people connecting over internet and countries become more involved in trade and economic partnership or competition, we should strive to maintain balance in our ecosystems and health. We only get one planet, and nobody can care for it alone. The world has gotten too large for many people to remain distant and isolated. Some cultural differences may require a delicate approach to interaction, because certain groups prefer isolation, but we all must recognize our shared inheritance.
We have an obligation to the planet to care for it and one to each other as humans to keep it in a livable condition. I think we can pursue prosperity without dooming ourselves, but it will require acknowledging the fact that it lies with each of us to do our part. It will require sacrifice and compromise, so we must be ready for it.
