Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation by Samuel Alexander

Author:Samuel Alexander [Alexander, Samuel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simplicity Institute Publishing
Published: 2013-06-11T07:00:00+00:00

This study explores the health implications of ‘simple living’ and compares this way of living to earlier ‘consumerist’ lifestyles. The available evidence shows that consumerist lifestyles, as exemplified in western societies of the Old World, tended to be associated with highly processed diets and obesity, a lack of exercise, a disconnection from nature and community, as well as elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and substance abuse. These practices led to unprecedented levels of what might be called ‘the diseases of affluence’, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression. But rather than reconsider the lifestyles that caused these illnesses, healthcare in the Old World sought to cure these illnesses with pills and technologies, which could be commoditised and sold for a profit. An alternative approach was to prevent those illnesses through lifestyle changes, which would have been essentially free. We argue that the ‘commoditisation’ approach followed logically from the capitalist nature of the Old World, which was structured to privilege profit above people. In short, selling people pills was more profitable than advising patients to change their lifestyles, thus marginalising preventative, lifestyle medicine. The ‘commoditisation’ approach contrasts sharply with the ‘lifestyle’ approach to healthcare as practised on the Isle. Our empirical research shows that the lifestyles of moderate consumption on the Isle have a range of health benefits, flowing from our unprocessed, vegetarian or low-meat-consumption diets, our active, outdoor lifestyles, our close connection with nature and community, as well as our work-life balance. Not only is this important from a personal perspective, healthy living means less burden on community health systems, freeing up more funds and resources for other causes. This study provides an empirical basis for the notion that the best way to live a long, healthy, low-impact life, is to live simply.

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