Some years ago, a well-known doctor wrote a book with the above title. This title might cause you to conclude that there is no one specific cause for things. Even though most of us would reject this theory, there may actually be some truth to this statement. When we consider the human body, its function and dysfunction, the doctor may have actually been on to something! He might have been better off calling it “Everything Contributes to Anything”. That may actually be the key to understanding illness or dis-ease. Usually the cause is a combination of factors rather than a single one. Have you ever noticed that there always seems to be theories that become popular, later replaced by new one? Let’s take a look.

One of the more popular viewpoints among members of the health care community is heredity. Yet many times members of the same family, even identical twins, do not “get” the disease that is supposed to be hereditary. There is no doubt that heredity is a factor… but it is not the sole cause of disease.

Stress is another commonly mentioned cause. How is it that two people can work at the same “stressful” job and one ends up with ulcers and the other doesn’t. Or one has a heart attack the other does not. Is stress bad? Sure. Is it the sole cause of heart attacks? No. At best it is a factor. Everyone knows that smoking is harmful. Yet, there are heavy smokers who do not get lung cancer and there are those who never smoked a single cigarette that die from the disease. How do we explain that?

Bacteria and viruses are most commonly thought to be the cause of disease. However, history shows us that even in epidemics; the vast majority of a population does not get the disease. We say that those not affected had a “higher resistance.” So, it is either a high or low resistance that is the key factor and not the germ? Or is resistance just another factor? What about the factors that affect resistance: diet, exercise, and/or rest? It all tends to be very confusing, especially when you are trying to prevent the causes of disease. “Don’t do this.” “Don’t eat that!” Butter increases cholesterol and cholesterol is supposed to cause heart disease. Margarine supposedly has some bad health effects also. These theories change day to day, week to week. What disease will you be putting on your morning toast!

Perhaps we need a major change in our attitude. Perhaps we need to focus on what causes health, what causes proper body function, what causes increased performance on a mental, physical, and emotional level.

It’s really rather simple: eating right, getting regular exercise, maintaining a nerve system free of interference (by seeing your chiropractor and maintaining your alignment) and having a positive mental attitude. In fact, it is so simple that most people in the health care/scientific community tend to overlook these factors. You see, the “causes” of health are the responsibility of each individual person. And frankly, most health care providers don’t really emphasize the importance of individual responsibility in ones health.

Science muddles along working on new “treatments” after the horse (dis-ease) has gotten out of the barn. These companies figure that people won’t bother changing their lifestyle, so let’s develop a drug that allows them to continue behaviors that are making them sick and moderate or control their symptoms.

Frankly, I have more confidence in people making the right choices, when they are presented with the information they need to make the right choices. Do you want to be healthy? Do you want to be all you can be in life? Then you must take the responsibility. Someone can grow good wholesome food but you must eat it everyday. Someone can build a health club or gym but you must be disciplined to work out two or three times a week. Your chiropractor can provide you with the opportunity to have your spine checked and put in alignment when needed, but you must bring your spine into the office. It just makes sense to do it. Take control of your life instead of waiting for “Something to Cause Something.”