MARSHFIELD – The Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, a non-denominational student group at UW-Marshfield/Wood County, is sponsoring “The Cure for Affluenza: A Matter of Margin” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, in the Helen Connor Laird Theatre on campus, 2000 W. 5th St., Marshfield.

The event is free and open to the public. 

The program, presented by Dr. Richard Swenson, reflects the Campus Common Reading “Affluenza,” a book by John DeGraaf.  DeGraaf describes affluenza as “… an epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream; or unsustainable addiction to economic growth.”

Swenson’s presentation will focus on a cure for affluenza, said Jan Cain, advisor to the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship. The audience will learn how to gain needed time reserves; find freedom through simplicity and contentment; focus on essential priorities, slow the frenzied pace of living; understand and correct stress and overload; and to create margin for family, faith and friends. 

Swenson is a full-time futurist, physician-researcher and author.  As a physician, his current focus is “cultural medicine,” researching the intersection of health and culture.  As a futurist, his emphasis is fourfold: the future of the world system, western culture, faith and health care. 

Swenson writes and speaks on the themes of margin, stress, overload, life balance, complexity, societal change, health care and future trends.  He has traveled to more than 50 countries, including a year of study in Europe and medical work in developing countries. He is author of six books, including the best-sellers “Margin:  Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives” and “The Overload Syndrome:  Learning to Live within Your Limits.”