Engineering sanitation
I’ve written long and loud (Daily Dose 11/18/2003, 6/1/2004) about how basic sanitation is the single biggest thing anyone can improve upon to reduce their risk of disease – and to reduce the risk that they’ll spread a disease to others. As an M.D., it’s so ingrained in me to keep myself and my environment clean and as free from bacteria as possible that I guess it’s just difficult for me to conceive of the fact that this kind of thing just isn’t a reality (or even a possibility) for everyone.
Yet according to a recent story by the Associated Press, a report published jointly by the World Health Organization and UNICEF indicates that by the year 2015, 2.4 billion people on planet Earth (roughly 1 in 3 of us) will face needless disease or even death at the hands of pathogens that could be controlled or eliminated by adhering to the basic, common-sense principles of sanitation.
That’s an amazing and stunning statistic, don’t you think?
True, much of what the article classifies as “basic sanitation” are things like clean drinking water, efficient sewers, and uncontaminated foods – things that are typically the responsibility of governments to provide for their citizenry. And in a lot of third-world or developing nations (and even in some regions of industrialized nations like the former Soviet Union, according to the piece), governments are not organized or well funded enough to adequately provide these basic needs. According to one UN estimate, some African nations will take 150 YEARS to become “wealthy” enough to afford the kind of adequate sanitation we take for granted every day.
As if that’s not tragic enough, consider this: Even if the governments of poor or underdeveloped nations can’t afford to provide basic sanitation, they could definitely better educate their citizens about easy, inexpensive ways in which they can protect themselves from killer bacteria. Things like the proper handling of food, the purification of water by boiling or adding bleach, the use of inexpensive disinfectants like hydrogen peroxide (also a powerful medicine), and HAND WASHING could save millions.
And even in fully developed nations like the U.S. and Canada, adhering to these same basic principles of sanitation can save lives – and halt the spread of deadly disease like SARS. What I’m trying to say is this: Every time you fail to handle food the right ways (and I don’t mean over-cooking it), put off disinfecting your kitchen and bathroom, and neglect to wash your hands after you flush, you’re taking a gamble with your life.
Oh, and speaking of gambling
Betting on good health
I’ve spilled a fair quantity of ink in the past talking about proven techniques to better health for those who are getting up in years: Vitamins and minerals, sunshine, a low-carbohydrate diet, moderate intake of alcohol (especially red wine), laughter, expression, social interaction
But GAMBLING?
Absolutely, if some recent research is to be believed. According to a surprising Yale University study published in September’s American Journal of Psychiatry, recreational gamblers age 65 and older are measurably healthier than their non-gambling peers. They’re also far less likely to suffer from alcoholism and depression (not to mention bankruptcy) per capita than younger recreational gamblers.
Why does gambling seem to be a boon to health late in life? One of the study’s authors suggests that the social interactions inherent to gambling – the witty repartee with a dealer, the camaraderie of the craps table, the shared hoopla of a slot machine win – all contribute to a senior citizen’s wellness and vigor on many levels. I’ve written before about the importance of social interaction and comradeship to the health and well-being of elderly folks before (Daily Dose, 3/19/2004 and 5/25/2004), and so I must say that I concur with the study’s author on this point
There’s likely another aspect to this as well: The thrill factor. Once people reach a certain age and station in life (say, retired and in the twilight years), the thrills that keep our minds focused, our blood pumping and our hearts engaged tend to be fewer and farther between. But low-stakes, recreational gambling – whether it’s at a casino, playing the ponies, at the bingo hall in church, or over cards with friends – can give seniors a much-needed jolt of adrenaline that keep them feeling young.
And as long as it doesn’t cost you your pension or your grandkids’ college fund, I say it’s money well spent.
Never playing dirty – or gambling with your health,
William Campbell Douglass II, MD
