Western medicine has brought us vaccination (which has eradicated some devastating illnesses such as smallpox and polio), antibiotics (which cured infections before they became deadly), surgical alternatives to childbirth (saving many women and children) and trauma units (saving even more).
Allopathy has only just begun to understand how other facets of a person's being affect profound changes in the body, though this is not a widely accepted form of practice, and nutrition is still considered an alternative form of treatment, rather than a primary factor.
Western science has brought us a long way and should never be totally dismissed. However, there are simple choices we can make in nutrition and exercise that usually aren't recommended by allopathic doctors until something is horribly wrong.
More people today are coordinating western medicine with "alternative therapies" to keep themselves healthy and prevent disease.