Saving the World from Nature Deficit Disorder

Richard Louv, author of "The Nature Principle, Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder," is on a mission to bring people back to nature. In scientific studies he cites, Louv shows that people given a "nature prescription" actually can regain their health much quicker than those on regular pills. He likens it to zoo animals, says if we shut up zoo animals inside boxes with just windows, it would be called inhumane, but we do it all the time to office workers and other human employees. As a consequence, people become depressed and ill with a host of diseases which feed on lowered immune systems. The answer according to the author may be as simple as a walk outdoors once a day, stopping to listen to the birds and breath in the fresh air, or gardening in one's own backyard.

It seems incredible that something so simple as taking a walk outdoors can be so beneficial, but Louv claims it can, and the studies seem to back him up. Could playing video games indoors for hours be the cause of some children's attention deficit disorder and need for medication such as Ritalin? Could the answer just be to play outdoors once a day? Parents might want to study this book well.

I enjoyed "The Nature Principle" very much and heartily recommend it for its fresh look at what could help cure some diseases without medication.