Environmental factors
• Sunlight. Radiation from excessive sunlight exposure is becoming a growing cancer risk in America. Every year more than 600,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer. Malignant melanoma is the fastest-growing and deadliest form of cancer.⁶⁵ Between 1973 and 1987, the rate of melanoma increased 83%.⁶⁶ Malignant melanoma is the leading cause of cancer in women ages 25 to 29, and is second only to breast cancer in women 30 to 34.⁶⁷ The National Cancer Institute predicts that one out of every six Americans will develop some form of skin cancer in his or her lifetime.⁶⁸ Here’s a warning from Sydney Hurwitz, M.D., professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the Yale University School of Medicine: “Most skin cancers begin in childhood. The studies have shown that a history of sunburns during the first 20 years of life doubles the risk of skin cancer in later years.”⁶⁹
Diet is a key factor associated with sunlight. If you consume a diet low in hydrogenated oils and consume a lot of antioxidative foods containing natural beta carotene your chances of developing skin cancer greatly drop.
• Radon. Radon is a radioactive gas emitted from bedrock. It enters buildings through cracks in the foundation or holes in the basement floors and walls (drains, sump pits, etc.). Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that cannot be detected except by measuring devices. Radon is deadly and a very significant health hazard; it is the second most common cause of lung cancer. With lung cancer being the most common cancer of all and radon being the second highest cause of lung cancer,⁷⁰ you can see how very, very important this issue can be for your health. Fortunately radon can be easily and inexpensively detected with testing kits that can be purchased at your local hardware store. If the results are higher than the normal limits, you don’t necessarily have to move or panic. There are companies that specialize in installing fans that aerate the gases under foundations, making these homes safe. Look under “Radon” in the Yellow Pages for listings. An easy safety precaution is to open all the windows in your house each day for half an hour to let the fresh air in and any potentially hazardous fumes and gases out. This includes basement windows or window wells. Also, seal any cracks in the foundation or walls.
• Electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation is emitted by practically all electrical appliances and outside power lines. The longer you are exposed to low-level electromagnetic fields (EMFs), the greater the health risk, especially cancer in children. In a 1991 study done by the University of Southern California, 232 children in Los Angeles County who had leukemia by the age of 11 were compared to the same number of children who were healthy. The results showed that the children with leukemia were more likely to use 11 out of 15 electrical appliances (most significantly electric hair dryers and black and white television sets) as compared to the healthy children.⁷¹ Dr. Robert Becker states that EMFs may be linked to chronic fatigue syndrome, AIDS, autism, fragile X syndrome, and sudden infant death syndrome. Also EMFs may worsen already existing conditions, especially those related to the nervous system, the brain, or mental illness — Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, phobias, and addictive personality traits.⁷² Doctors point to EMFs as a main reason for people having low energy, irritability, poor concentration, tension and stress. According to USA Today “EMFs are becoming the number one environmental concern in America.” EMFs are also strongly emitted from power lines and may pose a health risk for people who live within 200 feet of the overhead lines.⁷³
The best way to avoid EMFs is to avoid being close to any operating electrical appliance. The recommended distance is three to four feet. With large-screen TVs the distance should be increased to at least 10 feet. If you are really concerned, you can purchase a gaussmeter from an electronics store to measure the number of milligauss that are emitted from appliances. Most environmental experts suggest that your environment not exceed 1 milligauss, and 1.5 to 2 milligauss is significant enough to make changes in the household.⁷⁴ Recent results of a 25 year Swedish study involving 500,000 people exposed to sustained EMF levels revealed that the cancer risk for children continuously exposed to 2mG of EMF was 3 times higher than normal, while those exposed to 3mG showed risk for contracting leukemia 4 times higher than normal. Adults also ran increased risk of leukemia, lymphoma, and brain tumors.
Viral/bacterial/fungal/parasitic risk
A growing number of people are becoming toxic and developing weakened immune systems as a result of this group of health risks. AIDS is just the beginning of the infectious viral diseases that we will have to contend with. Bacterial infections are making a resurgence, and alarmingly, more strains are becoming resistant to antibiotics. Of the fungi group, candida has an overwhelming effect on the number of Americans it has affected. Parasitic infections can cause everything from poor digestion to bloating to headaches to a wide variety of health complaints. Intestinal parasites are particularly common, entering our bodies through our meat, chicken, and fish consumption. Learn more on these risks in the circulative and immune health chapters.
Lifestyle risk
Stress and fear are the two greatest lifestyle risks and probably negatively affect ones health more than any other group. We will address these issues in the mental and spiritual health chapters.

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