Praying about the Comfort Pandemic

At a recent church gathering, an elder gave us the following prayer point. “Let’s pray against the diseases that are now more prevalent in this day and age than when we were growing up: diabetes mellitus, hypertension”.

And as a medical student, I heard that and thought well…

Not because I don’t believe in prayer, but made me think of something I have long wanted to rant about.

Fat Children

Back when I was grade 1, there was the fat kid in class. Or two. (I can talk about them because I was one of them). Hence the song “dhafu dhunda, rapedza loaf ramama.” The song should now be “ma-dhafu dhunda…”

Point being the comfortable lives we have formed, the effects are clear to see in the generation of children in primary school, living the comfortable lives their parents have given them.

And in adults?

The children still have a chance with their health, however the comfortable lives we have formed in adults aren’t as forgiving.

From the diet, there is the sedentary lives we live in which movement is at a minimum. Any form of exercise is “too painful”. Add to that the phones that distract us and put actual healthy, neural stimulation to zero.

What are the results of that then?

Diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cancer.

Of course we can pray for the wisdom of knowing how to navigate our lives with these health issues But surely we can’t pray effects of our own doing away?

So…?

As a medical student and as someone so passionate about health, I am particularly concerned about preventable diseases. Preventable in the sense that our daily habits and lifestyles contribute directly to the instances of diseases occurring.

Seeing that our lives have become so comfortable and with that, there’s no physical exercise, healthy diets or healthy brain activity, no wonder these preventable diseases are on the rise.

Let’s pray for wisdom but let’s act on that wisdom we get from God. Our health needs our action.

Conclusion

If you haven’t gotten anything from this article, the following is the summary

Buy stocks in pharmaceutical companies. Their stock prices are only going to get higher.