Evolutionary Medicine and Health : New Perspectives

by Trevathan, Wenda R.; Smith, E. O.; McKenna, James

• ISBN13: 9780195307061
• ISBN10: 0195307062
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-11-30
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Building on the success of their groundbreaking anthology Evolutionary Medicine (OUP, 1999), Wenda R. Trevathan, E. O. Smith, and James J. McKenna provide an up-to-date and thought-provoking introduction to the field with this new collection of essays. Ideal for courses in evolutionarymedicine, medical anthropology, and the evolution of human disease, Evolutionary Medicine and Health: New Perspectives presents twenty-three original articles that examine how human evolution relates to a broad range of contemporary health problems including infectious, chronic, nutritional, andmental diseases and disorders. Topics covered include disease susceptibility in cultural context, substance abuse and addiction, sleep disorders, preeclampsia, altitude-related hypoxia, the biological context of menstruation, and the role of stress in modern life. An international team of preeminentscholars in biological anthropology, medicine, biology, psychology, and geography contributed the selections. Together they represent a uniquely integrative and multidisciplinary approach that takes into account the dialogue between biology and culture as it relates to understanding, treating, andpreventing disease. A common theme throughout is the description of cases in which biological human development conflicts with culturally based individual behaviors that determine health outcomes. Detailed, evidence-based arguments make the case that all aspects of the human condition covered in thevolume have an evolutionary basis, while theoretical discussions using other empirical evidence critique the gaps that still remain in evolutionary approaches to health. Evolutionary Medicine and Health: New Perspectives features an introductory overview that covers the field's diverse array of topics, questions, lines of evidence, and perspectives. In addition, the editors provide introductions to each essay and an extensive bibliography that represents astate-of-the-art survey of the literature. A companion website at www.oup.com/us/evolmed offers a full bibliography and links to source articles, reports, and databases. Written in an engaging style that is accessible to students, professionals, and general readers, this book offers a unique look athow an evolutionary perspective has become increasingly relevant to the health field and medical practice.

Table of Contents

Preface

Contributors

Background Wenda Trevathan

An Overview of Evolutionary Medicine

Politics, Nutrition, and Diet

Human Evolution, Diet, and Nutrition: When the Body Meets the BuffetLeslie

Diabesity and Darwinian Medicine: The Evolution of an Epidemic Iver Mysterud

To Eat, or What Not To Eat: A Critique of the Official Norwegian Dietary Guidelines

Cow's Milk Consumption and Health: An Evolutionary Perspective

Sex, Reproduction, And Health

Not by Bread Alone: The Role of Psychosocial Stress in Age at First Reproduction and in Health Inequalities

Early Life Effects on Reproductive Function

Impaired Reproductive Function in Women in Western and "Westernizing" Populations: An Evolutionary Approach Lynnette

Should Women Menstruate? An Evolutionary Perspective on Menstrual-Suppressing Oral Contraceptives Caroline Doyle

An Evolutionary Perspective on Premenstrual Syndrome: Implications for Investigating Infectious Causes of Chronic Disease Pierre-Yves Robillard

The Possible Role of Eclampsia/Preeclampsia in the Evolution of Human Reproduction

Environments, Normality, and Lifetime Health

Breastfeeding and Mother-Infant Sleep Proximity: Implications for Infant Care

Why Words Can Hurt Us: Social Relationships, Stress, and Health

Why Are We Vulnerable To Acute Mountain Sickness?

Evolution and Modern Behavioral Problems: The Case of Addiction

After Dark: The Evolutionary Ecology of Human Sleep

Chronic Diseases, Old Treatments, and More Misunderstanding

Evolutionary Medicine and Obesity: Developmental Adaptive Responses in Human Body Composition

The Developmental Origins of Adult Health: Intergenerational Inertia in Adaptation and Disease

An Evolutionary Perspective on the Causes of Chronic Diseases: Atherosclerosis as an Illustration

Genes, Geographic Ancestry, and Disease Susceptibility: Applications of Evolutionary Medicine to Clinical Settings

From Ancient Seas to Modern Disease: Evolution and Congestive Heart Failure

Evolution at the Intersection of Biology and Medicine

The Importance of Evolution for Medicine

References

Endnotes

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.