Today’s lifestyle isdefinitely not possessing much aspect of healthy living. Modern day trends reign that glamour and reputation is the ultimate lifestyle. Materialism reigns supreme over basic beliefs and conservative practices. In our pursuit of social acceptance, success and wealth, most of us have a tendency to ignore our own beliefs and well-being.
This is illustrated by highly unhealthy routines of the career group: work addicts who do not have time for Himself/herself and family; yuppies who expend savings (and sleep) on fashion and socializing; beauty aspirants who starve or risk plastic surgery. However, business is booming for maid employment agencies, credit card companies and slimming Salons. Similarly, the law profession has been boosted by a growing desire for divorce lawyers whislst vanity, no longer a solely feminine attribute, drives and vitalizes the booming cosmetic markets.
Our community’s prevailing achievement-oriented philosophy has been instilled in us from young when academic results were (and still are) determined by (he number of “A”s obtained. Nowadays, ambitious parents unwittingly burden their children who are already weighed down with limitless school-work by enrolling them for private tuition and “enhancement” classes. Ironically, the best education involves sacrifice on health and welfare besides wastingthe family capital. It is prevalent knowledge that students in particular undergraduates forego play and rest to accomplish good paper results and projects.
As we search out a living or go up the social ladder, traditional values are cast aside: children are either left in the care of extended families/nannies or by themselves; aging parents are left in old folks’ homes or ignored: spouses almost never talk or see each other; marriage is place last in the priority list of yuppies. In our obsession of keeping up with the neighbours and times, we typically go beyond our personal limits causing pointless pressure on ourselves and loved ones. Stress is a key issue in our practical society.
The hectic pace in the metropolis takes its toll on many men and women : patience is practically extinct; tempers are easily frayed; selfishness reigns the day. Mental illness is now not limited to the downtrodden as we have seen the repeated incidence of amok cases, child abuse, hooliganism, masochistic attacks, road bullies and vandalism. Psychiatrists, previously peculiar only to the Western community, have of late grow in prominence and are as popularly demanded as physicians.
An inevitable price of development and urban concentration is environmental pollution, which brings about widespread illnesses cancer. To make things worse, affluence and the ever-growing workforce has brought about a growing volume of vehicles on the road. Traffic jams are now a way of life even in smaller towns as people spend more time in their vehicles, a reason, which enhances the current popularity of (car) radio stations.
Unfortunately, success and wealth commonly come with added stress and sadness. We hear of popular actors and Actress facing loneliness or avoiding; rich people having insminia over kidnapping threats and share fluctuations or their wives’ insecurity over their fidelity; families at war and separated over property; senior executives prematurely balding/greying and risking cardiac problems to reach for deadlines and targets.This fact is consolation to the average folks who enjoy better peace of mind.
It isstrange that despite many years of development in education, science and technology, humankind has still not progrssed a lot in respect of genuine health and wellness.. Rather, our state of health whether or not mental, moral, physical or spiritual appears to have deteriorated with globalization and modernization. Nowadays, the cream of society, particularly gullible young people, seem to adopt a “live for today” attitude and are inclined to follow Western (liberated) ways of life searching excitement at the expense of their well-being : experimenting with drugs; fast driving; free sex; non-stop partying.
Unlike the older generation and small town folk who live in a relaxed manner while enjoying health wellness and longevity, present day city folks tend to die young either through accident or sickess. Statistics show that those among the dead and dying are often youths or middle-agers at the pinniclepeak of their career. One apparent factor in the detriment of our well-being is today’sfrantic pace of living and working. To complicate the issu, we have AIDs-linked fatal illnesses which are now common in our growing permissive society taking away even innocent victims like newborn babies.
In spite of ils benefits, automation and computerization has subtly but surely cause the health downfall of users who have a tendency to exercise less mentally and physically. With theadvent of the Internet, there is now an increasing community of sedentary PC addicts especially among the young who may produce “zombie syndrome” through shortage of agility as well as eye defects. In the wake of the Y2K buzz we would have been shaken up into realizing the risks of complete computer reliance. Hopefully, we should see a more balanced breed of people who are not only computer-literate but also health-conscious as well as adaptable (to survive power failures and system crashes).
The undisputed fact that health is better valuable than wealth is frequently overlooked and unappreciated until too late.While some may understand in time to recover, others may not be as lucky and thus be destined lo doom. It would appear that a lifestyle without excesses is the answer. As long as fundamental needs are satisfied with enough for comfort and indulgences, we should not have to stress or extend ourselves too much. Our successes and wealth would be quite meaningless if we are sad, ill or in poor health. As a matter of fact, there are afew successful carrer individuals who give up their rich way of life and settle down to simplicity in the countryside seeking sanctuary as well as sanity.
There is an increasing trend among city folks to be “one with nature” plus a growing awareness of the requirement to conserve the environment. This augurs well for the coming generation as the planet (assuming that there will still be sufficient resources left) would be a better place to live on then. In the meantime, there is hope yet if more young people are educated on and led their lives by the philosophy of Health is Wealth.
