This excerpt, taken from Dr. Campbell’s newest book, The Future of Nutrition, explores how a reductionist paradigm limits our medical system’s approach to disease and health.

The American healthcare system does not focus on establishing healthful behavior, but on responding to disease, and it relies on technology to do so. Trends in life expectancy and chronic disease incidence rates suggest that this disease response system is not very effective, despite improvements in some areas of response.

The health care system today is not equipped to establish health, or even prevent disease. Instead, it responds to disease, and it relies on technology to do so. The widespread, and still spreading, use of drugs illustrates this reliance on technology.

Launched in 1971, the “war on cancer” has been at the forefront of medical research efforts for decades. Still, despite many advances, there is no consensus on whether the “war” has been won. Cancer remains a leading cause of death. Is it time to move past the war metapho

Malnutrition, including the dietary patterns that produce obesity and chronic disease, is the number one cause of death today, killing millions worldwide every year. Its costs to both individuals and societies continues to grow, despite being largely ignored by healthcare policy institutions, the media, and the public.