ABSTRACT
In Western societies the chronic illnesses dominate the work of healthcare professionals. Included in this group are congenital abnormalities, degenerative diseases that accompany ageing or bodily abuse, arteriosclerosis, the autoimmune illnesses, the allergic conditions, genetic diseases, and those forms of cancer that are treatable but not curable. Most chronic diseases are multi-factorial, caused by the interplay of genetic predisposition, personal behaviour and environmental triggers. The problem with regard to this obsession with diet and exercise, labelled 'body fascism' by some, is intolerance of those with illness or impairment. Sociologists have proposed two models of disability, namely the medical model and the social model. The orthodox medical approach to a patient with an impairment is to make a diagnosis and then proceed with an attempt to cure or ameliorate the condition. The social model stemmed from the experience of discrimination, isolation and dependency felt by many disabled people.
