Healthcare or Healthy?

Health care is a big issue in the U.S. right now, but a bigger issue ought to be the declining health of U.S. citizens due to preventable causes.  It is alarming to me that so many people want the government to be responsible for their health rather than take the steps to become healthy.  Many Americans set out to ruin their health by smoking, drinking in excess, eating poorly, not exercising, etc. and then want the government to make sure they have a health care plan for the inevitable time when their irresponsible lifestyle makes them sick.  

Although the U.S. already spends more on health care than any other nation in the world, we don’t have much to show for it.  We lag behind Japan and most of Europe in life expectancy.  Two decades ago, 10 countries ranked higher in life expectancy than we did.  Today, 41 do!  Twice as many Americans over age 50 are diagnosed with heart disease, arthiritis and cancer as their European peers, and U.S. women are twice as likely to have a stroke as women in Europe.  U.S. men are 60 percent more likely to suffer stroke than European men!  Researchers attribute these striking differences to Europeans’ healthier lifesyles and better disease prevention, the centerpiece of many European countries’ health care systems.   

We need to place our health before health care and make prevention a priority.   Unfortunately, prevention is too often neglected in our treatment-oriented, inequitable, for-profit system.  I was in recent conversation with an acquaintance who was suffering from multiple gastro-intestinal problems and missing a lot of work.  I have been suggesting for about a year that her diet of highly processed foods was probably the problem.  She has undergone every test the doctors can give her, and they have all come back inconclusive.  This women has spent thousands of health care dollars and countless hours of her time (and her employers time) trying to “get fixed” when it was in her power all the while.  In despair, she has finally decided to try changing her diet as a last resort.  And you know what?  She is regaining her health.  Good thing she didn’t undergo abdominal surgery which was the next step for the doctors to medically “fix” her.

We know what we need to do: Eat a low-fat, high fiber, low sodium diet; exercise regularly; use sunscreen; don’t smoke; build healthy relationships; reduce stress.  A recent New England Journal of Medicine article revealed that while genetics, social circumstances and health care play a role, the greatest opportunity we have to improve our health and live longer is our personal behavior.  And the good news is - this opportunity transcends economic levels.  You don’t need to be rich to engage in physical activity.  You don’t need to be rich to make better food choices.  You don’t need to be rich to spend time with friends and family.  You don’t need to be rich to stop smoking and reduce alcohol consumption.  Anyone of any economic level has the opportunity to improve their health and disease prevention. 

Making better lifestyle choices empowers people and gives us a sense of control over our life and health.  It really feels good!  When we improve our lifestyle  we feel better physically, mentally, emotionally and we are more social as a result.  It increases our quality of life all day long, every day.  Physical activity is fun, and eating what healthy Europeans typically eat – fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, olive oil, wine, goat cheese and dark chocolate - is pleasurable. 

Obviously, good medical care is important and life-saving.  But, so many of us can avoid needing to have our lives ”saved” by simply doing what works.  Having the knowledge doesn’t help us unless we actually use it for change.  Or, as Nike says, “just do it.”  You’ll be glad!  How are you changing?