The arrogance of preventive medicine - David Sucket

Preventive medicine displays all 3 elements of arrogance. 

First, it is aggressively assertive, pursuing symptomless individuals and telling them what they must do to remain healthy. Occasionally invoking the force of law (immunizations, seat belts), it prescribes and proscribes for both individual patients and the general citizenry of every age and stage. 

Second, preventive medicine is presumptuous, confident that the interventions it espouses will, on average, do more good than harm to those who accept and adhere to them. 

Finally, preventive medicine is overbearing, attacking those who question the value of its recommendations.

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