It's quite true, pdq, that "you can't make people do anything they don't want to do".

Agreed! I am not suggesting making people do anything (except obey the civil laws).

But what I am suggesting is a society and a medical fraternity that would spend a lot more effort in advising people as to what they might do to be healthy....and would provide more incentives and facilities for them to do what is healthy...and would educate them better in that respect...and would provide far better leadership and far better role models for them to aspire to in that respect.

I am suggesting the encouragement of people, not control or regimentation of people.

The present social order actively encourages people to overeat, to eat junk food, to drink soft drinks, to sit on their asses all day long, to indulge themselves in every way possible...and why?

So some business can make money on their physical and behavioural addictions, that's why.

Well, that's what happens in a decadent society, isn't it? And things deteriorate.

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You are quite right about the overpopulation problem. Again, what is needed to deal with that is better education, a better standard of living and education for the poor (it is the poorest and most ignorant people in a society who always have the highest birthrate), better role models for the young.

If you demonstrate high ideals and self-discipline in front of young children, they will understand and respond in kind. If you demonstrate greed, irresponsibility, carelessness, violence, and waste in front of young children, they will imitate it and they will get lost in it.

As you say, "now is a great time to live". Agreed. There have been many advances. However, there is much we can do to continue improving certain things in society. I'm not suggesting turning the clock back to 1900. That just isn't possible.