Charles despairs of pill-popping culture
By Andrew Pierce
06/04/2007
The Prince of Wales has spoken of his despair at the growing influence of a 'pill for every ill' culture at the expense of finding the true causes of ill health, such as bad diet.
Prince Charles advocates alternative therapies
The Prince, a long-time champion of alternative medicine, said prevention was the best cure - not a quick fix in the form of a tablet or medicine bottle.
"I suppose the concept of being able to pop a pill that claims to solve your problem without you having to actually do anything is enormously attractive - an easy way of avoiding boring exercise or whatever," he said in an interview with Esquire magazine.
"Perhaps it's the media or advertising, but people somehow seem to think it's easier to get a quick fix, regardless of whether a quick fix is merely suppressing the symptoms and not necessarily dealing with the root cause."
Last year, the UK's drugs bill rose to £9.65 billion, up from £9.2 billion the previous year - more than 10 per cent of NHS spending.
In the interview, Prince Charles said people seemed to have forgotten about prevention and regarded worrying about their diet as a "bit of a bore".
The Prince, who has converted his Highgrove farm to organic production methods, said he had come to the conclusion that many people were adversely affected by the foods they loved most and insisted: "You are what you eat."
Having been recently accused of being a "meddling Prince" because of his habit of writing to Cabinet ministers, Prince Charles talked about his need to be cautious with his influence.
"Obviously I do have to be careful. I don't want to overdo it," he said.
The Prince said he knew his views alienated some people and said it was "no fun" plucking up courage to win over those who are openly hostile to his views. "All the time I feel I must justify my existence. What I've done is a mere pinprick but at least it is something," he said.
He also lived up to his reputation for being old-fashioned when he revealed that he preferred videos to DVDs.
"I much prefer videos to DVDs. I find it so annoying having to go through the menu and finding the spot where you left off every time you try watching it in a different location," he said.
• Buckingham Palace announced yesterday that Prince Charles will join the Queen at the annual Commonwealth conference in Uganda in November.
It is rare for both the monarch and the heir to the throne to be in the same overseas country at the same time on official duties. The Duchess of Cornwall will travel to Kampala with the Prince, while the Duke of Edinburgh will accompany the Queen.
telegraph.co.uk
By Andrew Pierce
06/04/2007
The Prince of Wales has spoken of his despair at the growing influence of a 'pill for every ill' culture at the expense of finding the true causes of ill health, such as bad diet.
Prince Charles advocates alternative therapies
The Prince, a long-time champion of alternative medicine, said prevention was the best cure - not a quick fix in the form of a tablet or medicine bottle.
"I suppose the concept of being able to pop a pill that claims to solve your problem without you having to actually do anything is enormously attractive - an easy way of avoiding boring exercise or whatever," he said in an interview with Esquire magazine.
"Perhaps it's the media or advertising, but people somehow seem to think it's easier to get a quick fix, regardless of whether a quick fix is merely suppressing the symptoms and not necessarily dealing with the root cause."
Last year, the UK's drugs bill rose to £9.65 billion, up from £9.2 billion the previous year - more than 10 per cent of NHS spending.
In the interview, Prince Charles said people seemed to have forgotten about prevention and regarded worrying about their diet as a "bit of a bore".
The Prince, who has converted his Highgrove farm to organic production methods, said he had come to the conclusion that many people were adversely affected by the foods they loved most and insisted: "You are what you eat."
Having been recently accused of being a "meddling Prince" because of his habit of writing to Cabinet ministers, Prince Charles talked about his need to be cautious with his influence.
"Obviously I do have to be careful. I don't want to overdo it," he said.
The Prince said he knew his views alienated some people and said it was "no fun" plucking up courage to win over those who are openly hostile to his views. "All the time I feel I must justify my existence. What I've done is a mere pinprick but at least it is something," he said.
He also lived up to his reputation for being old-fashioned when he revealed that he preferred videos to DVDs.
"I much prefer videos to DVDs. I find it so annoying having to go through the menu and finding the spot where you left off every time you try watching it in a different location," he said.
• Buckingham Palace announced yesterday that Prince Charles will join the Queen at the annual Commonwealth conference in Uganda in November.
It is rare for both the monarch and the heir to the throne to be in the same overseas country at the same time on official duties. The Duchess of Cornwall will travel to Kampala with the Prince, while the Duke of Edinburgh will accompany the Queen.
telegraph.co.uk
