Question Present Assumptions

Picture a pristine doctor's office, 1920s. A physician in a white coat smiles reassuringly while holding up a pack of Camels. "For your throat's sake, smoke Camels," reads the advertisement beneath his trustworthy image. Hard to believe, right? Well, this was mainstream medical endorsement.

In the early 20th century, tobacco companies proudly proclaimed that "20,679 physicians say Luckies are less irritating." Doctors recommended specific cigarette brands to their patients. They appeared in advertisements that would make today's medical professionals recoil in horror. We look back at these endorsements with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. "How could they not know?" we wonder.

But let’s ask ourselves the uncomfortable question. What medical and health practices of 2025 will future generations view with the same incredulous head-shaking? The antibiotics we prescribe like candy? The highly processed foods we consume daily? The chemicals we willingly expose ourselves to? The exorbitant amounts of animals we slaughter daily?