The underlying problems are psychological, emotional, and spiritual. Smoking, drinking, and overeating are “solutions” to these problems. Bad solutions, since they ultimately cause heart disease, but solutions nonetheless: They’re effective ways of helping people get through the day. And when you’re depressed or unhappy, that’s a noble goal. “When you’re depressed,” Ornish says, “getting through the day is more important than living to eighty-six instead of eighty-five—even if you’re eighty-five.”
