http://www.npr.org/2011/12/02/143055122/combating-depression-with-meditation-diet
WEIL: True, and I think it has everything to do with modern life. I think in essence the depression epidemic represents a mismatch between our genes - the kind of life our genes have prepared us for and the kind of life most of us actually live. One clue is that major depression is virtually unknown in hunter-gatherer societies. You can't find a case of it in Papua New Guinea.
So what's different there? Well, everything. You know, people in those cultures are living close to nature. They enjoy strong tribal and community support. They're eating natural diets, not industrial food. They're getting plenty of physical activity.
So everything has changed, and I think that if you want to attend to emotional well-being, you really have to look at all of the influences on physical health and emotional health, both in the physical realm, mental realm and spiritual realm.
FLATOW: Could not Facebook and Twitter, though, could you not argue that it's creating more of a sense of community?
WEIL: I think it's a false sense, frankly. You know, the research is so strong, showing that interpersonal connection is protective against depression and protective of emotional wellness. And I think that more and more of us substitute virtual interaction for real interaction.
Also, a great deal of what we see as the advancements of technology in modern life make it easier for us to live in isolated cocoons. We think that we live very comfortably, but in fact I think this is at the expense of a kind of social support that people in other cultures and people earlier in this culture enjoyed.
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