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6.3 Physical HealthVersion 1.2 January 2018                                            (Previous Version) These are the questions we ask in the introduction (Section 0.1.6 – paragraph 30): How should we look after our physical welfare? Must we starve ourselves, avoid the food we like, and exercise ourselves to death? isn't fat beautiful? Are recreational drugs really bad for you? If adults think drugs are so bad, why do they use them? Should we take vitamins and other supplements, or are they a waste? Can we believe modern medicine? Should we reject vaccines against infectious diseases? Is it reasonable to try homeopathy or traditional medicine if modern medicine doesn’t work? This Chapter outlines how we can best look after our physical health, from infancy to youth, to middle and old age. Our understanding of how to do this inevitably changes over time, as scientists learn more and we as individuals learn more science. Most of us are interested in our own well-being, so new theories can receive a lot of attention in the media. But there are many unnecessary controversies and a lot of misinformation that obscures the well-known basic rules of healthy living. This Chapter is primarily focussed on how individuals can look after themselves, from teenagers to adults to the elderly. Chapter 6.5 covers parenting young children and “childering” invalid parents. We must start with the advice from the medical profession and associated paramedical experts. We need to focus on their ongoing core message rather than the latest potential discoveries that may not be vindicated over time. This Chapter focusses on personal hygiene, eating well, moderate exercise, minimising recreational drug use, avoiding pollutants in food and the environment, outdoor activities, intellectual stimulation and social participation, accidents and illness, aging and public health. Finally we need to avoid the misinformation and bogus science presented by homeopaths, and other “alternative medicine” pundits, whose recommendations are based on substantial evidence. We propose to look at physical health under the following headings:
As stated in the chapter overview, this is the current summary of our conclusions in this area: We need to learn how to look after our bodies, to eat well, exercise, maintain personal hygiene, to identify sensible medical advice and then follow it; to support public health measures, medical research and education, evidence based medicine and providing medical services, to all people, at all stages of life.  more                                             Statement 30 The following pages explore these topics in more detail.
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