Many health professionals accept the power of faith in healing from a variety of illnesses.
In recent years, there have been many studies documenting the power of a positive attitude in recovering from everything from colds to cancer. The Mennonites ate about 600 calories more per day than the average American. The Mennonites ate more total, saturated, and monounsaturated fats than average and this contributed in large part to their higher calorie intake. However, they were thinner than the average American and this is probably a result of their higher levels of physical activity. Many studies have shown that higher calorie intake is, paradoxically, protective against heart disease.