ANT208H1 Lecture Notes - Biomedicine, Birth Weight, Antibody
Document Summary
Evolutionary medicine - application of principles of evolutionary theory to practice/research in field of medicine. Look at proximal (what are immediate consequences of the issue; how do we solve the disease via biomedicine) and ultimate (why did we evolve this trait; what purpose does this trait serve) causes for each health issue. Conceptual contributions of anthropology (these make more sense after reading the 3 health issues below but are what you should take away from the reading: redefine normal based on specific culture / population. Biomedicine is based on what is normal in western populations. Drugs are often dosed too high for other cultures leading to ill effects on health: development is highly influenced by culture. Immune strength is dependent on breastfeeding b/c antibodies are transmitted through breast milk; western society is moving away from breastfeeding so new trend of weaker immune systems. This is a problem in poor neighborhoods bc no money to be well-fed.
