[lbo-talk] planned economy [was: Hamid Dabashi on Iran]

[Miles Jackson]

Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
> But health is a function of many things, including or perhaps especially the lifestyle and that was not very conducive to good health - smoking, drinking, poor diet (high on carbs and meat low on veggies).
>   

The impact of lifestyle on physical health is relatively limited; only a 
few percent of the variation in health outcomes can be attributed to 
lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise.  Moreover, most of the 
research on the lifestyle and health is correlational, so we should be 
careful about assuming that the lifestyle factors are the cause of the 
health outcomes.  (Remember how fiber was supposed to reduce the risk of 
colon cancer?  Spurious correlation.)

Sociological aside: given the hyperindividualism of U. S. society,.it's 
not surprising that people would exaggerate the impact of lifestyle 
choices on health,   We love to pretend that individuals shape their own 
destinies based on their own choices.

Miles