For the first time in a thousand years Americans are experiencing a reversal in lifespan.
Despite living in one of the safest and most secure eras in human history one in five adults
suffers from anxiety as does one-third of adolescents. Nearly half of the US population is
overweight or obese and one-third of Americans suffer from chronic pain - the highest level in
the world. In the United States fatalities due to prescription pain medications now surpass
those of heroin and cocaine combined and each year 10% of all students on American college
campuses contemplate suicide. With the proliferation of social media and the algorithms for
social sharing that prey upon our emotional brains inaccurate or misleading health articles
and videos now move faster through social media networks than do reputable ones. This book is
about modern health - or lack of it. The authors make two key arguments: that our deteriorating
wellness is rapidly becoming a health emergency and two that much of these trends are rooted
in the way our highly evolved hardwired brains and bodies deal with modern social change. The
co-authors: a PhD from the world of social science and an MD from the world of medicine -
combine forces to bring this emerging human crisis to light. Densely packed with fascinating
facts and little-told stories the authors weave together real-life cases that describe how our
ancient evolutionary drives are propelling us toward ill health and disease. Over the course of
seven chapters the authors unlock the mysteries of our top health vices: why hospitals are
more dangerous than warzones our addiction to sugar salt and stress our emotionally-driven
brains our relentless pursuit of happiness our sleepless society our understanding of risk
and finally how world history can be a valuable tutor. Through these varied themes the
authors illustrate how our social lives are more of a determinant of health outcome than at any
other time in our history and to truly understand our plight we need to recognize when our
decisions and behavior are being directed by our survival-seeking hardwired brains and bodies.
