Limits - Intertwingled: Information Changes Everything - page 108

Figure 5-8. The circle of trust.
Of course, even if doctors were solely motivated to help, the results might not be better, as their
sources of information from research scientists to medical journals are also funded by pharma. If
there's a serious health problem in our family, I consult Medline and the Cochrane Reviews, but
even after hours of research, my confidence is low. In the United States, we spend $4 trillion a
year on healthcare. The manufacture of consent is big business. It's hard to know who to trust.
That's why I've gone rogue. I haven't been to a doctor in years. I don't see my dentist either. If I
have a serious problem, I'll consult a professional, but I believe checkups are dangerous. As
Nassim Taleb says “If you want to accelerate someone's death, give him a personal doctor. I
don't mean provide him with a bad doctor: just pay for him to choose his own. Any doctor will
do.” cxl Naïve intervention is a most deadly disease.
Our culture exaggerates the ability of doctors and drugs to improve our lives. We invest so
much time and money in “health care,” but it plays a minor role in health and longevity. That's
why I pay more attention to my environment, economics, and behavior. I aim to change the
things I can.
Figure 5-9. Effect upon health and longevity.
It's still hard to know what to do. Is skim milk in or out? Do we eat the bread, hold the butter, or
vice versa? Simple questions about diet and exercise are surprisingly difficult to answer. I