The Hindu Business Line : `Avoid pitfalls of faulty Western lifestyle'

"DPT and MMR (vaccines) are a real assault on the baby's immune system," says Dr Christopher Pick, rather alarmingly. A naturopath and health-consultant, Dr Pick admits he may sound alarmist, but cautions India from making the same health-related mistakes made by Europe and other Western countries.

India has been adopting the Western lifestyle in a short period of time and the impact is being felt that much harder, he says. India has the highest number of heart-related problems and diabetes. He cautions that problems such as autism have not yet hit India."Weak mothers breed weak children," he says, pointing out that the incidence of autism was one in 10,000, about 30 years ago in America. At present it is one in 161. Vaccinations to infants destroy their immune system. An average four-year-old carries three viruses, parasites, metal toxicity etc. Making the connection, he says, vaccinating babies compromises their immune system and exposes them to opportunistic infections.

Admitting that he must be seen as the worst friend of pharmaceutical companies that promote vaccines, he quips: "They would wish that I walk away into the Dead Sea!"

But then, he is not against vaccines, he says. "Let the baby's immune system develop in the first year and after they are about two years old, get them single vaccinations." He is alarmed at the 5-in-1 and 7-in-1 vaccines being promoted by drug companies.

A health consultant to companies in the the UK and the US, Dr Pick urges Indians not to give up their traditional diets. He outlines lack of exercise, over-consumption of valueless or nutrition-less food, junk-food, and high-stress levels as the pitfalls ahead of an average Indian. "As this happens, over two or three generations, the gene pool gets weaker. You can decimate a gene pool with bad nutrition," he says, emphasising the importance of nutrition.

Dr Pick was in the city to address consumers on naturopathy. Like other alternative treatments such as homeopathy and ayurveda, naturopathy too treats the individual in a holistic manner. But unwilling to be stuck with a label, he says naturopathy takes its lessons from Mother Nature. "This will be on my grave-stone: you get all you need from a balanced diet!"

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`Avoid pitfalls of faulty Western lifestyle'

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