Hygiene for Freshmen

I want to do my next post on one of my favorite titles in the giant stack of books next to me. Hygiene for Freshmen, published in 1934 by Alfred Worcester. This book was published to fit the special needs of the college freshmen at Harvard University. Mind you these were all male freshmen, since Harvard didn't become coed until 1972.  Anyway, Worcester starts out defining health as "freedom from disease" and "the highest possible efficiency of mind and body." Well isn't that wholesome!  He maps health through the ages, noting that the Greeks and Roman's held physical perfection in the highest regard, a concern which was dropped in the Middle Ages and throughout Christian civilization, since disease and pain were all part of the divine plan.  

Although most people reading this blog, and hopefully a good portion of the population, don't believe that illness is inflicted upon us tiny minions from the omnipotent presence that rules us all, it doesn’t seem like a majority of people in the world care about their health.  Many have constraining factors that get in the way of leading a healthy life-style, but many of these factors (financial situation, family, work, daily stresses) are actually a huge part of our health and well-being, or our emotional health, as Dr. Worcester already pointed out.

So just how healthy is the world today? What diseases and lifestyle choices prevail on society now, and how can we be more aware of those and not become part of the statistics? When I first think of unhealthiness, I immediately jump to obesity, it might just be my western breeding.  However, malnutrition, communicable diseases such as HIV, malaria, stress, and unclean living conditions are also important factors that affect global health.  

According to Hygiene for Freshmen, in 1800, the average life expectancy was 25 years; in 1900 it was 45 years; and “now in 1933 the average duration is nearly if not quite 60 years.” This change came not by a lessened mortality of adults, but by saving children from easily preventable diseases! Yay science! Back in Dr. Worcester's day, 92% of deaths were from disease, and only 4% were from old age. A spread of sanitary science, according to Worcester, was both economically and healthfully beneficial back in 1933, since the US government then spent over 3 billion dollars annually treating people with disease. (Look forward to a future post on health plans and political health policy: then and now.)

Interestingly, what the population lacked then was not the information and expert knowledge (although they definitely lacked compared to what we know now), but the willingness to adopt in practice what was already known (in 1933).

Comparatively, the World Health Organization provides 50 Facts: Global health situation and trends1955-2025 to help us assess the health of the world currently. (Sorry a lot of these stats are over 5 years old, but the WHO seemed like a reputable source...)

• In 1997 about 365,000 babies were born and about 140,000 people died, giving a natural increase of about 220,000 people a day
• Life expectancy in 1997 was 65 years and in 2025 is projected to be 73 year
• However, more than 50 million people live today in countries with a life expectancy less than 45 years, which equals the average life expectancy in 1900! Progress has not been made...
• In 1997, of the total 52.2 million deaths...
• 17.3 million were due to infectious and parasitic diseases (33%)
• 15.3 million were due to circulatory diseases (29%)
• 6.2 million were due to cancer (lung > stomach > colon and rectum > liver > breast) (12%)
• 3.6 million were due to perinatal conditions (7%)
• 2.9 million were due to respiratory disease (5.5%)
• Mortality of children under 5 decreased by about 50% (as noted by our friend Dr. Worcester)
• In 1995, 27% of children under 5 were underweight
• Currently, about 50% of deaths among children under 5 are associated with malnutrition
• Infectious diseases are still the dominate killers in developing countries but non-communicable diseases will become more prevalent due to an adoption of “western” lifestyle risk factors like smoking, high-fat diet, obesity, and lack of exercise
• Yay Amurica!
• More than 15 million adults aged 20-64 are dying every year and most of these deaths are premature and preventable
• stop smoking, get off your lazy bum, eat better....yadda yadda yadda...
• Diabetes is projected to double from 1997 to 2025 largely due to dietary and other lifestyle factors
• Ouch!

In a lovely *Outdated Moment* Worcester states that “College men, inasmuch as they have had larger opportunities, are expected to be leaders in their own communities.  Such expectation imposes upon them as true gentlemen the obligation of living clean and wholesome lives.”

Fortunately this now applies to all college students, men and WOMEN.  Understanding some of these facts is important and noting that the concerns have not changed so much in the last 80 years is kind of eye-opening. We actually have more information now than ever before, and people still continue to lead unhealthy lives! 

So all you college freshmen reading this (and everyone else), consider this your impetus to lead healthier, and therefore happier lives. Spread the word of how important health is and remember to appreciate that you have the opportunity to lead a healthy life, unlike a large majority of the world.

I couldn’t end this post without a little bit of college humor…

“Fortunately the idea is now obsolete that collegians should be allowed indulgence for riotous living. Much higher standards now prevail.”  -- Alfred Worcester, 1934

“Ha.” –Lily Berrin, 2013