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By Jin Yu-young
For some cancer patients, chemotherapy is no longer an option.
Yet it is a hard decision for patients to take it. While undergoing chemotherapy, patients suffer enormously and healthy people can hardly imagine how severe the circumstances are that those patients experience.
There is a role doctors can play to help the patients, according to a new book, "Created Diseases." It is a collection of four interviews pop culture critic Kim Tae-hoon conducted _ three doctors in the fields of obesity, cancer and psychiatry and a personal trainer.
"One of the patients I treated today is in his 70s," said Dr. Seo Jae-geol, who spoke on cancer. "He is weary, becomes thinner and thinner as time goes by. He couldn't eat anything because he vomits whenever he tries food.
"Facing such a patient, doctors like me are plunged into the hard question of what kind of cancer drugs we need to use this time because there are fewer options for patients such as him ... Chemotherapy will be more effective if doctors communicate with their patients and if necessary persuade them."
Seo said chemotherapy has side effects because it kills not only cancer cells but healthy ones too.
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| Book "Created Disease" |
In "Created Diseases," readers can gain insight into how the stress of our daily lives can have lasting effects on our physical, emotional and mental health. The book poses a warning to the possible consequences that will overtake us should we not take care of our health, and sheds light on the issue of stress in today's society, which is a subject that is often overlooked.
Focusing on physical and mental health, author Kim thoroughly discusses various health topics and questions if the stressful nature of our modern day world causes these issues.
Kim interviews Dr. Park Yong-woo, an expert on obesity. In the interview, Kim asks whether obesity is a disease or if it is the product of our conscious decisions.
According to Park, although the onset of obesity may come from our voluntary choices, there is a certain threshold beyond which we no longer have control, and thus becomes a disease.
Attributing stress as a major factor of obesity, Park emphasizes the importance of stress management and highlights the possible dangers of obesity, such as its negative impact on emotional/mental health, interpersonal relationships and personality.
In Kim's discourse with Seo, they discuss why people focus more on medical treatment than the causes behind an illness. Being honest about the economically centered nature of society, Seo admits that it is because "medicine is an industry." Prescribing treatments is far more effective for both the patients and the doctors.
He warns patients, however, not to rely solely on the advice of experts and also to use their own judgment: while it is the doctor's role to offer a solution it is the patient's to judge how to act on that advice.
Chapter 3 focuses on mental health issues such as depression and panic disorder. Dr. Yang Jae-jin provides his insight on how people with mental disorders are perceived in Korea. He says there is still prejudice against those who seek professional help. Although there has been improvement in de-stigmatizing mental health patients, there is still much progress to be made.
Yang also mentions the increasing number of people who are diagnosed with mental health issues. He concludes that this is the result of higher stress levels (as opposed to those of previous generations) and fewer methods to relieve this stress.
In his final chapter, Kim interviews Lim Jong-pil, one of Korea's most successful personal trainers, and discusses the importance of exercise in our daily lives.
According to Lim, exercise is crucial in maintaining our health and preventing our bodies from breaking down. As many people today spend most of their time sitting, exercise is imperative in ensuring that our bodies remain strong.
According to Lim, "there is no 'elevator' in exercise. We must stop by all the levels in order to reach the top." Furthermore, we must be patient and persistent in maintaining our physical health. Lim claims that exercise can transform our lives: a healthier body results in more confidence, leading to a different lifestyle.
Jin Yu-young is an intern at The Korea Times.
