The Roseto Effect

[Gerard]

1. Roseto (population: 1,600) is a town in Eastern Pennsylvania, settled by immigrants from southern Italy in the 1880s. For decades, the people of Roseto were able to protect their traditions and lifestyles from the old country. 

 

2. In the 1950s, the town began to gain notoriety when it was reported that deaths due to heart disease were dramatically lower than neighboring towns that were more typically “American.”

 

3. Scientists could not explain it using the FRS. Roseto residents smoked cigars, worked in foundries, fried their meatballs, and ate cheese and salami with abandon. What they found was that life in Roseto was much different than surrounding areas.

 

4. Grandparents lived with grandchildren and many households had 3 or 4 generations under the same roof. Strong ties brought community wide celebrations for life cycle events and religious ceremonies. No one was ever alone, no one was ever lonely, no one was ever without overwhelming support and friendships. There was no crime, no locked doors, and no need for social welfare activities by the government as people took care of their own.

 

5. Beginning around the mid 1960s, traditions began to crumble. Children began to move away, attend university, marry outside the community, bring meals in paper bags, and embrace American suburban life. The introduction of a Western lifestyle with long hours of work and social isolation, increased stress, and a processed food diet produced a quick jump in heart attacks and deaths due to atherosclerosis. Since then, Roseto has joined the melting pot of America and now suffers all of its chronic diseases.

 

The Roseto Effect: The Amazing Power of Relationships for Heart Health

 

Pretty much like China. Working together towards attaining a common goal...harmoniously, respecting wisdom, tradition and looking after the elderly!

 

Yang Shi Taijiquan 85 Shi - Master Zhao Youbin (赵幼斌)

 

Individualism only leads to disease, loneliness and a weakened HEART ----> the ruler, the source of all disease and illness if weakened.

 

Something to very carefully think about because society is slowly destroying itself.

 

The Confucian ideal is based upond:

 

Harmony, benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, honesty, loyalty, and filial piety.

 

China’s Traditional Cultural Values and National Identity

 

I just hope the best for the world

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 27, 2018 by Gerard

[yuuichi]

You forget the negatives of chinese confucian culture. Parents are too strict on their children and make them work too hard, as their children are responsible for their retirement. This also carries on into choosing a partner for them, as they only care about someone who is rich, so they can provide a comfortable retirement for them. Also, many chinese people are miserable, as they care too much about what their parents think, what their parents might say, and so do not follow their aspirations but just stay unhappy in a safe job and an acceptable lifestyle for the parents. This leads to a lot of unhappiness in families, as not everyone, or even most people can be successful, bringing disappointment to the parents.

 

Also, some parents can be mean and horrible. Should this merely just be accepted for one’s whole life?

 

And a young person living with old people is not enjoyable at all.

 

you say that being alone affects the heart negatively, but wasn’t Laozi alone? Wasn’t many, many Daoist sages alone? They just lived in nature, alone.