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The Adventist "Health Message" Unpacked, Lillian Kent

Lillian Kent

Since its organization as a denomination in the mid-19^th century, the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church has been advocating the counsel of the church’s primary health reformer, Ellen White, which emphasizes the role of lifestyle in promoting health, happiness and enhanced spirituality¹. In 1905, Ellen White consolidated her counsel into this graphic statement: “Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, use of water, trust in divine power – these are the true remedies”². Consequently, it is not surprising that research on the health of SDA since the 1950’s has shown that they appear to enjoy …