One might wonder what the environment has to do with your personal health. Consider the fact that we are products of our environment, and despite that fact we have evolved to a point that many of us seemingly have little to do with the outside world, we are in constant contact with environmental stressors that have a direct impact on our physical health.

It is difficult these days to avoid seeing the headlines without hearing of something bad going on with the environment. We constantly hear about the risks that our present way of life is causing. Are we really poisoning ourselves, or is this just a bunch of alarmists trying to scare us into their way of seeing things? These are difficult and complicated questions that have no definite answers because no one knows exactly what the future holds.

Many studies have shown that specific chemicals and by-products of our overpopulated industrial society are directly linked with cancer and respiratory illnesses. Well-known examples of this would be the links between asbestos and mesothelioma (cancer of the lining around the lung), and diesel fumes and asthma. Needless to say there are countless byproducts of our way of life that end up in the environment and can have unfavorable effects on our health. Some of these have been regulated or banned. Others have not been well-studied and their effects on us are unclear or unknown.

Everyone in the world plays a part in this to some extent, but as Americans we consume and cast off more waste and pollutants than anyone else. For example, we are responsible for 75 percent of the world’s oil consumption (and thereby responsible for 75 percent of the pollution that comes from oil).

So what does one’s personal consumption and subsequent waste have to do with our personal health? The answer is simple. Since we are all responsible for more or less than our fair share of waste, we all bear some responsibility for the negative effects on our collective and individual health. The flip side of this argument is that if we all as individuals did our part to minimize the amount of waste and pollutants we produced, we would all be healthier.

I often tell my patients that the pollutants we produce ourselves tend to hurt us the most because of simple proximity. The body is a wondrous machine that does a remarkable job of eliminating harmful toxins and carcinogens, but it has its limits. Certain toxins are difficult to eliminate and are therefore cumulative. I also tell my patients that by engaging in certain practices to reduce consumption and waste, we all benefit from a health standpoint.

What are some of these practices? They are the things we have all heard about so many times we are sick of it. They necessitate changes in our routine and require more work and thought about behaviors that long ago became routine. They are behaviors that save paper, glass, plastics, hydrocarbons, wood and all of the energy and processes that their manufacture requires. Some of them include recycling, driving the most fuel efficient vehicle for our needs, picking up our own trash, organic lawn care and gardening, using items we buy until they wear out, and the use of natural and organic foods.

If we own a business, it means proper disposal of toxic chemicals and the adherence to clean air standards. The use of these practices by all individuals will minimize the harmful effects of our waste on the air, soil, and water supplies. That means less of these harmful chemicals end up back in our own bodies.

By adopting these simple behaviors we can all effect the environment in a positive way and help ourselves and future generations at the same time.

Ronald L. Miller M.D. is Medical Director of Omega Executive Healthcare, a membership-based medical practice in Columbus that works with executives and professionals with emphasis on prevention as well as increased access and convenience.