medical / public health

Mona Hanna-Attisha recounts the story about how she, and a team of researchers, parents, friends, and community leaders in Flint, Michigan fought the government to expose the truth about lead contamination in the towns water supply.

"Drawing on the latest medical science, case studies, policy research, and hard-earned epidemiological lessons, "Deadliest Enemy" explores the resources and programs we need to develop if we are to keep ourselves safe from infectious disease"--Dust jacket.

"Eat smart, exercise regularly, and get routine health screenings," the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises the public in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. And that is absolutely true - except for the checkup part. The American public has been sold the idea that seeking medical care is one of the most important steps to maintain wellness. However, surprisingly, medical care is not in fact well correlated with good health. The major determinants of health are outside individual medical care. Dr. Gilbert Welch pushes against established wisdom, and suggests that medical care may be too aggressive. From his twenty-five years of medical practice and research, Welch explains that excessive medical care is often powered by economics and lawyers. But American medical care would not exist in this state if the general public did not harbor powerful assumptions about the value of tests and treatments - a number of which are just plain wrong. "--.