We are born into the world as human animals –wild and free, and endowed with the power of Nature.  Yet, we must develop into social beings, with “acceptable” thoughts and beliefs, practices and customs.  The process of human domestication takes place in all human groups.  It is the process of transforming the human animal into a respectable member of the culture.  It requires that we package our natural selves into culturally acceptable forms.

This means that our culture modifies our nature.  The culture defines how we dress, eat, play, work, sleep, communicate, think, and feel.  This provides us with some cultural benefits, but there is usually a cost when you alter human nature.  That cost is our health.

A disease caused by the culture is a “culturogenic” disease.  The roots of such a disease are embedded in damaging personal attitudes, biases, and habits promoted by the culture, as well as in the industries that become financially and politically invested in certain damaging lifestyles and/or their consequences.   Unfortunately, the culture reinforces damaging lifestyles if there are industries that profit from such lifestyles. 

The ultimate solution to culturogenic diseases requires a cultural shift in values, fashions, and practices.  This takes time, and all the while people continue to suffer.  But you do not have to wait for the culture to change in order to alter your lifestyle.  Clearly, we must all accept the responsibility to care for our own health if we wish to avoid culturogenic diseases.  We must discard damaging cultural attitudes and behaviors.  We must learn lifestyles that enhance our health and allow our bodies to operate as Nature intended.