The Disease Delusion: Conquering the Causes of Chronic Illness for a Healthier, Longer, and Happier Life

For decades, Dr. Jeffrey Bland has been on the cutting edge of Functional Medicine, which seeks to pinpoint and prevent the cause of illness, rather than treat its symptoms. Managing chronic diseases accounts for three quarters of our total healthcare costs, because we’re masking these illnesses with pills and temporary treatments, rather than addressing their underlying causes, he argues. Worse, only treating symptoms leads us down the path of further illness.

In The Disease Delusion, Dr. Bland explains what Functional Medicine is and what it can do for you. While advances in modern science have nearly doubled our lifespans in only four generations, our quality of life has not reached its full potential. Outlining the reasons why we suffer chronic diseases from asthma and diabetes to obesity, arthritis and cancer to a host of other ailments, Dr. Bland offers achievable, science-based solutions that can alleviate these common conditions and offers a roadmap for a lifetime of wellness.

Disease care vs health care: which would you choose?

Contrary to conventional wisdom, chronic disease is not genetically predetermined but results from a mismatch between our genes and environment and lifestyle. What we call a "disease" is the outcome of an imbalance in one or more of the seven core physiological processes. Leveraging a lifetime on the cutting edge of research and practice, Dr. Jeffrey S. Bland lays out a road map for good health by helping us understand these processes and the root causes of chronic illness. As Bland teaches us, no two people have the identical form of any disease, so with the right personalized program, we can safely and effectively manage and ultimately cure what ails us.

In the twenty-first century, medicine is undergoing a paradigm shift comparable to the advances in infectious disease in the late nineteenth century. While these strides have nearly doubled life expectancies in only four generations, quality of life has yet to rise to its full potential. Treatment of chronic diseases—diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, dementia, and many others—is responsible for 78 percent of total health care costs in the United States, yet we're managing the symptoms of these illnesses with pills and temporary remedies instead of identifying, preventing, and addressing their underlying causes. In The Disease Delusion, we learn how we may fundamentally change our perceptions of illness and approach a cure.

Dr. Bland has greatly influenced many of the biggest names in medicine today, but until now we have not had access to the larger framework in which to understand chronic illness or ways to foster lifelong health. Complete with self-evaluation questionnaires and sample meal plans, and supported by the most recent advances in health science, The Disease Delusion is indispensable to anyone determined to live long and well.

Includes 8 interactive health assessments you can complete on your phone

“The godfather of functional medicine elegantly explains the core tools to overcome the chronic ailments of modern society.” - Mehmet Oz, M.D.

“Filled with solid science, fascinating medical detective stories, and practical tips, this powerful book can save your life. You are not a victim of your genes, but rather of your poor choices. And the good news is you can change your choices and even how your genes express themselves. I am a fan of Jeff Bland and will recommend his book to the physicians and patients at the Amen Clinics.” - Daniel G. Amen, MD, Founder, Amen Clinics and New York Times bestselling author

“... Dr. Bland lays out the brilliant prescription we most need, which is to leverage our lifestyle in the service of upgrading how our genes are expressed. This is the book of the decade on how to create robust health, and my advice is to step into the grace of Dr. Bland’s wisdom today, without delay.” - Sara Gottfried, MD, New York Times bestselling author of The Hormone Cure

“Dr. Bland’s book should be a textbook in medical schools all over the world. I wish I had found it while I was in medical school myself.” - Alejandro Junger, MD, Founder of the Clean Program

“Filled with solid science, fascinating medical detective stories, and practical tips, this powerful book can save your life.” - Daniel G. Amen, MD, Founder, Amen Clinics and New York Times bestselling author

“What the personal computer revolution did for old-fashioned mainframe computing—empowering us all—is what functional medicine is doing for healthcare; and if there is a Steve Jobs of functional medicine, it is Jeffrey Bland—visionary, innovative, and perennially two steps ahead.” - Dale E. Bredesen, MD, Augustus Rose Professor, Director, Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research, Director, Neurodegenerative Disease Research David Geffen School of Medicine UCLA

“Jeff Bland is the scout who has been out in front of the 21st century pioneers in medicine and health innovation pointing the behemoth carriage of contemporary medicine towards a more compassionate and comprehensive healthcare destination. His book is a rich stew of all that is needed to both understand and apply what he has learned in his journey.” - David Jones, MD, President, Institute for Functional Medicine