I got MS at 49 & now I’m 53 Wheelchair & divorced. Very determined to Change this narrative and Eating greenery fruits smoothies and exercising for good health.
I get angry every time I hear someone say MS is a lifestyle disease. So I did this to myself? I have been physically active my whole life participating in outdoor sport 4-6 days a week, borderline vegetarian my whole adult life (extremely low in processed foods) and I grew up on an organic goat farm (so not raised on cows milk and had little as an adult). Very few people have lived as consistently a 'healthy' lifestyle their whole lives as myself yet I have MS. I do believe that lifestyle is extremely important in the management of the disease itself but accusing us of causing it ourselves is very hurtful and makes me want to ignore everything you say.
Hi Heidi - thank you for your comments and sharing your thoughts. Just to clarify, MStranslate is an independent science communication initiative that is designed to provide easy to understand information to people with MS about MS research. This covers a variety of topics from research all around the world. As part of this, we ran a feature week with Prof George Jelinek to discuss his work at the Neuroepidemiology Unit and his Overcoming MS program. I understand your frustration, but I think the 'lifestyle disease' part of MS is relating to increasing risk factors and helping manage the progression. As you say, this isn't something you did to yourself. We do know in general that there are some lifestyle and environmental factors that appear to increase the risk of developing MS (e.g. smoking, low vitamin D levels), but they aren't a cause in themselves. Hope this helps clear things up a little bit and we'd love to have you continue to follow all of our content and contribute your thoughts on them. Thanks, Brett (MS Researcher, Science Communicator and Co-Founder - MStranslate)
Type 2 diabetes is a true lifestyle disease, it is caused by and can be reversed by lifestyle. Calling MS a lifestyle disease leads some to believe that lifestyle changes alone can halt the disease. I think its irresponsible to encourage the treatment of MS with lifestyle changes alone.I do believe that lifestyle choices are extremely important because exercise promotes neurogenesis among other things and diet does affect inflammation (best brain related research I can find is in alzheimers not MS) so the impact is not insignificant. Early in the disease process though the use of disease modifiers is also very important. I do think MStranslate has a responsibility to put context around discussion like this if you are going to promote them. I'm not suggesting that controversial views not be presented but they should be done so with care since you promote yourself as helping interpret science for the average person.
Hi Heidi - thanks again for sharing your thoughts. I think one important point to make that was shared throughout the Feature Week by the team was that they don't recommend these lifestyle modifications at the expense of other treatments. They encourage dietary and other lifestyle modifications (including quitting smoking, increased exercise etc) to become part of a treatment plan - that may or may not include other disease-modifying therapies. As a person with MS, George himself has decided to focus solely on using lifestyle factors to manage his MS - however, he is very clear in that he doesn't realise that that is necessarily the choice everyone will make. I completely agree that MStranslate has that responsibility and it is one that we take very seriously. I guess it is difficult when we have produced a whole series of items in this area, but each can be viewed in isolation to give that context. It is why we are very committed to making sure that we respond to all comments that we receive across all of our platforms and e-mail. This allows for discussion, clarification and everyone to share their viewpoints. Thank you for your continued contributions - I'm happy to talk more at length with you about any of these issues if you would like. You can e-mail me (brett@mstranslate.com.au) and we can arrange a time to chat or you can connect with us on Facebook as well (facebook.com/MStranslate). Thanks, Brett
Heidi Scott there are also environmental factors. My friend spent her childhood in the village living very healthy yet she was diagnosed with MS at 25 years old. We realised that farms owners surrounding her parents' land used pesticides. Her exposure to all that stuff could have resulted in MS . Otherwise she is a very healthy one and always have been. Pesticide exposure is very very dangerous.
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I got MS at 49 & now I’m 53
Wheelchair & divorced. Very determined to
Change this narrative and Eating greenery fruits smoothies and exercising for good health.
I get angry every time I hear someone say MS is a lifestyle disease. So I did this to myself? I have been physically active my whole life participating in outdoor sport 4-6 days a week, borderline vegetarian my whole adult life (extremely low in processed foods) and I grew up on an organic goat farm (so not raised on cows milk and had little as an adult). Very few people have lived as consistently a 'healthy' lifestyle their whole lives as myself yet I have MS. I do believe that lifestyle is extremely important in the management of the disease itself but accusing us of causing it ourselves is very hurtful and makes me want to ignore everything you say.
Hi Heidi - thank you for your comments and sharing your thoughts. Just to clarify, MStranslate is an independent science communication initiative that is designed to provide easy to understand information to people with MS about MS research. This covers a variety of topics from research all around the world.
As part of this, we ran a feature week with Prof George Jelinek to discuss his work at the Neuroepidemiology Unit and his Overcoming MS program. I understand your frustration, but I think the 'lifestyle disease' part of MS is relating to increasing risk factors and helping manage the progression. As you say, this isn't something you did to yourself. We do know in general that there are some lifestyle and environmental factors that appear to increase the risk of developing MS (e.g. smoking, low vitamin D levels), but they aren't a cause in themselves. Hope this helps clear things up a little bit and we'd love to have you continue to follow all of our content and contribute your thoughts on them.
Thanks,
Brett (MS Researcher, Science Communicator and Co-Founder - MStranslate)
Type 2 diabetes is a true lifestyle disease, it is caused by and can be reversed by lifestyle. Calling MS a lifestyle disease leads some to believe that lifestyle changes alone can halt the disease. I think its irresponsible to encourage the treatment of MS with lifestyle changes alone.I do believe that lifestyle choices are extremely important because exercise promotes neurogenesis among other things and diet does affect inflammation (best brain related research I can find is in alzheimers not MS) so the impact is not insignificant. Early in the disease process though the use of disease modifiers is also very important.
I do think MStranslate has a responsibility to put context around discussion like this if you are going to promote them. I'm not suggesting that controversial views not be presented but they should be done so with care since you promote yourself as helping interpret science for the average person.
Hi Heidi - thanks again for sharing your thoughts. I think one important point to make that was shared throughout the Feature Week by the team was that they don't recommend these lifestyle modifications at the expense of other treatments. They encourage dietary and other lifestyle modifications (including quitting smoking, increased exercise etc) to become part of a treatment plan - that may or may not include other disease-modifying therapies. As a person with MS, George himself has decided to focus solely on using lifestyle factors to manage his MS - however, he is very clear in that he doesn't realise that that is necessarily the choice everyone will make.
I completely agree that MStranslate has that responsibility and it is one that we take very seriously. I guess it is difficult when we have produced a whole series of items in this area, but each can be viewed in isolation to give that context. It is why we are very committed to making sure that we respond to all comments that we receive across all of our platforms and e-mail. This allows for discussion, clarification and everyone to share their viewpoints. Thank you for your continued contributions - I'm happy to talk more at length with you about any of these issues if you would like. You can e-mail me (brett@mstranslate.com.au) and we can arrange a time to chat or you can connect with us on Facebook as well (facebook.com/MStranslate).
Thanks,
Brett
Thank you! It's infuriating.
Heidi Scott there are also environmental factors. My friend spent her childhood in the village living very healthy yet she was diagnosed with MS at 25 years old. We realised that farms owners surrounding her parents' land used pesticides. Her exposure to all that stuff could have resulted in MS . Otherwise she is a very healthy one and always have been. Pesticide exposure is very very dangerous.