Mind Matters

There seems to be a lot of controversy surrounding the existence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Many doctors refuse to even diagnose the condition while others believe there is a virus to blame.

CFS seems shrouded in mystery because its symptoms are very hard to impossible to measure. Saying "I feel fatigued" is vague at best. The measurement of the effects of this disease is impossible. Take the MRI of a patient with Parkinson's disease. There will be no real evidence of the disorder but the tremors remain. What then is the problem? Many doctors believe that the system is to blame, not the tissues. As they have found that the outer organs are not the cause of the problem, nor the matter the brain is made of.

Dr. Daniel Malone, staff rheumatologist in 1998 at the University of Wisconsin, said "Most researchers recognize that the problem with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia is in the control center". What does that mean? He goes on to say "We know that it's not the outer part. We all know that the brain has control over virtually every system. We think that the problem in CFS and FMS is in a dysfunction in one or more of the control centers".

In all that I've seen written on the disease there is a major link between the amount of distress a person undergoes along with their ability to cope. Usually CFS is seen in people who previously led very busy lives and were not active. The immune system is suppressed in those dealing with higher levels of stress hormones. Research has found also that there are links between CFS and viral infections.

This is alarming considering the number of inactive and overweight people living in the U.S. right now. Our statistics for weight-related health problems are on the rise. This means there is also a reasonable chance that contraction of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is more likely.

We are in a hurry to do things and we are not handling the stress well. This is not a good thing for our health. Certainly not every American has trouble dealing with stress and getting to the gym for consistent weight training, but the numbers are few relative to our total number.

My concerns are with what happens next. We know the outcome of a sedentary life and poor diet yet we continue the habit. Prevention is cheaper in the long run than visits to the pharmacy. I think our trouble are in our views of fitness and eating properly and the myths we believe about each of them.

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