How the Mid-Victorians Worked, Ate, and Died
Completion requirements
Read this article about the state of public health in the Mid-Victorian era in England. Consider its arguments against what we know of people's lifestyles during those times. What accounts for any differences in the accounts?
What Did the Victorians Ever Do for Us?
The implications of
the mid-Victorian story are far-reaching, because, unlike the
paleolithic scenario, details of the mid-Victorian lifestyle and its
impact on public health are extensively documented. Thus, the
mid-Victorian experience clearly shows us that:
- Degenerative
diseases are not caused by old age (the 'wear and tear' hypothesis); but
are driven, in the main, by chronic malnutrition. Our low energy
lifestyles leave us depleted in anabolic and anti-catabolic co-factors;
and this imbalance is compounded by excessive intakes of inflammatory
compounds. The current epidemic of degenerative disease is caused by
widespread problem of multiple micro- and phyto-nutrient depletion (Type
B malnutrition).
- With the exception of family planning and
antibiotics, the vast edifice of twentieth century healthcare has
generated little more than tools to suppress symptoms of the
degenerative diseases which have emerged due to our failure to maintain
mid-Victorian nutritional standards.
- The only way to combat the adverse effects of Type B malnutrition, and to prevent and / or cure degenerative disease, is to enhance the nutrient density of the modern diet.