Why is it that a billion people in the world are obese, and one in three people suffer from multiple chronic conditions? How are our struggling healthcare systems linked to the climate crisis, or the growing gap between rich and poor? Is our diet cooking the planet? Can we prevent cancer by walking in the woods, rewire our brains by meditating, or lengthen our lives simply by sleeping in?
The Ripple Effect is a timely and sweeping exploration of the explosion of chronic disease and obesity across the globe and its links with climate change, social polarization and our spiritual disconnect with the web of life. Pairing the latest research on lifestyle medicine and sustainability, this is an inspiring manifesto on a ‘systems view of health’, outlining how simple changes such as eating better, sleeping smarter, moving more, meditating and rekindling our spiritual bond with nature can cause a big splash that transforms the world. This is for anyone who wants to join the dots between mind, body and spirit, between our own health and the Earth’s health, so that together we can heal ourselves and our planet.