What's missing upon the arrival of disease in our bodies: Gratitude.

That's why we have a "health (care) crisis!"

It's only when we look upon disease with thankfulness as the arrival of a teacher-of-last-resort, to teach us what we've done to ourselves, that we can be on the path to well-being.

That it wasn't a lack of medicine, or surgery, or doctors that made us sick.

The society of our Great grandparents was not plagued with chronic illness, why?

We have done this to ourselves.

I agree in one can look at problems in general as possibility of growth, including diseases we have. Not only can we learn through the problems/diseases themselves and their reason of arising, but it also can help us appreciating more once we are healthy and do not have such difficulties..

BUT.. is it really of benefit to generalize this to the extreme, and to look at all diseases as some sort of karmic debt? Isnt this disempowering in some way?

and lastly... are you sure our great grandparents did not have chronic ilnesses? Im pretty sure they did, and they died at very early age from all sorts of diseases, maybe just different one...

I'm not sure, if most of the illnesses are nothing but lack of proper nutrition.
Most alternative doctors say so.
I started to believe it.
I eat healthier then 3 years ago, and it has a benefit on my mental and physical well-being.

I'm also more aware of myself.
Maybe there is a correlation between the conciousness and the stuff you take into your body!