Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Eat smart, exercise regularly, and get routine health screenings," the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises the public in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. And that is absolutely true - except for the checkup part. The American public has been sold the idea that seeking medical care is one of the most important steps to maintain wellness. However, surprisingly, medical care is not in fact well correlated with good health. The major determinants of health are outside individual medical care. Dr. Gilbert Welch pushes against established wisdom, and suggests that medical care may be too aggressive. From his twenty-five years of medical practice and research, Welch explains that excessive medical care is often powered by economics and lawyers. But American medical care would not exist in this state if the general public did not harbor powerful assumptions about the value of tests and treatments - a number of which are just plain wrong. "-- Provided by publisher.