Ask Not What the HealthCare System Can Do for You

With the presidential debates gearing up again we areto meet those deadlines. On average, we get 1.5
sure to hear more about health care. But we proposehours less zzzzzs than we did about 100 years ago.
a slightly different question. In addition to asking howNot only that but we spend far more time busy,
we can get more people healthcare coverage, webusy, busy when we are awake than we ever used
should also ask why so many people are sick in theto.
first place.Now, change happens. We shouldn't expect to
The words of John Kennedy might today be, "Askalways do things the way we used to, and we're not
not what the health care system can do for you.suggesting that. Food, in all its irresistible varieties, is
Ask what you can do to reduce the health caremuch more available. Are we supposed to just not
burden". But before delving into what we can do, let'seat it. Well, uh, it wouldn't hurt to pass on the second
take a look at some realities that our next presidenthelping of triple chocolate cheesecake now and then.
could face in their first 'State of the Union' address.And no, we can't jog around our office but we can
On the downside -do simple things to introduce more activity into our
* We are not healthy: 60% of adults and 20% ofday. Walk instead of drive those 1-mile errands. Park
kids are overweight; 30% of today's kids arefurther from the door, take the stairs . . . you've
anticipated to become diabetic; 20% of high schoolheard all this before. So why don't we do it?
kids have early stages of heart disease. TheOne reason is that no one likes to be told what to
estimated economic burden of depression for thedo and subjected to some guilt trip, most people just
year 2000 (most recent estimate) was $83.1 billion,don't respond to that. Also, most people haven't
and this is just one of many brain-related diseasesreally thought about what they really want their
* We are aging: within the next couple of decades,health to look like or developed a reasonable plan to
about 20% of the population will be of retirementreach their health-goals. As the old adage says, "If
age; 4.5 million people already have Alzheimer'syou don't know where you are going, you are sure
disease and by 2050 there will be 16 million cases.to get there", plus it helps to have a map. Finally,
* We are heavily medicated: anti-depressants are theeven with a plan many folks will give up after the
leading selling drugs in the United States; recordfirst sign of failure or fatigue. These changes don't
numbers of children are on these and anti-psychotics;become easy until we make them an integral part of
for adults, cholesterol and blood pressure medicinesour lives.
are becoming as common as breakfast cereal.So how do you motivate people to take action to
On the upside -maintain their health? Since everyone is different,
* The US government estimates that healthiermany options exist. The obvious answer, that will
lifestyles could save $71 billion per year in health caremotivate the most people, is money, money, money
costs and another $14 billion in lost productivity.. . . money (did you hear 'The Apprentice' theme
* 1 out of 7 deaths are premature and could besong).
avoided with better diets and active lifestyles.At a policy level, it would be exceptionally helpful if
Perhaps the next president should spend a littlethe next president worked to create incentives for
effort promoting methods to improve thesehealthy lifestyles and behaviors. Now, I know this is
statistics. But how?easy to say, probably not as easy to do (and keep
We typically think of heart disease, diabetes,everyone happy), but you have to walk before you
depression, and Alzheimer's dementia as veryrun.
different problems. But the more we learn aboutWhat if the next presidential administration actually
disease, the more we realize that these seeminglyincentivized (is that a word yet?) us to take better
different diseases often have a lot in common at thecare of ourselves? What if health insurance
cellular and molecular level. They also have a lot incompanies gave discounts to people that tried to live
common when it comes to how they gained aa healthy lifestyle? What if the government gave us
foothold in your brain and body to get started in thetax breaks to eat healthier food and exercise? What
first place.if each individual had one government subsidized
However, we have an arsenal of tools proven tocontinuing education, or self-enrichment class each
help reduce common cellular damage to maintain fityear? Would this reduce the overall health care
brains and bodies. What are those tools? Some highburden for employers and make it more affordable
tech drugs and medical equipment that is out ofto cover more people? Help reduce sick days and
reach for much of the population lacking health careincrease productivity and creativity? Hmmm....
insurance? Actually, no. These tools are very lowWe realize there are many caveats to implementing
tech and available to everyone. They are:such a plan but something has to be done and
1. Eating a quality dietmaybe some bright politician can figure out how to
2. Getting regular physical activitydo it. Who would lose if the country were to improve
3. Keeping your mind active and engagedtheir health?
4. Getting enough sleep and restInsurance companies wouldn't have to fork out as
Sounds easy, right? So why don't we all do it, andmuch. Medical providers would be able to divert more
why didn't we have all of these problems 50 and 100of their attention to preventing disease, instead of
years ago?managing chronic illness. The government wouldn't be
First of all, in yesteryear a breakfast muffin containedin such a hot seat for the health care crisis. Big
about 150 calories. Today that muffin is 400 calories.Pharma might sell fewer drugs, but there are several
A large drink at the soda fountain totaled 12 ounces.new health-related industries that they have the
Today, that drink is the smallest size on most menus.expertise to tap into. Basically, we would all win.
Yes, we are suffering from proportion distortion. WeSo back to our initial question: "Why are we so sick in
love to eat, and it ain't peas and carrots we are athe first place?" If you step back and see the forest
cravin'.for the trees, our world has changed drastically in the
Second, for many people going to work actuallylast 50 to 100 years. With technology, and the
meant going to work, physically. Today, the extentavailability it brings, we may have become a little
of our office exercise is finger aerobics on ourcomplacent, a little too trusting that the magic cure-all
QWERTY keyboards. Physical activity used to be apill is there for us.
regular part of everyday life, not a chore that youIt is true that we are living longer. But I'm sure with
have to schedule into your day.increased longevity, everyone would want at least a
Third, as Alvaro pointed out on a recent Sharp Brainsreasonable quality of life and currently that isn't the
blog, many of us 'outsource our brains' and no longerstatus quo. So the answer to our question seems to
think for ourselves. With mass media messages, GPSbe....lifestyle choices. Making the best lifestyle choices,
systems, calculators, spell checkers and electronicand maintaining them, isn't always easy but the best
organizers, we must ask the question how well wethings in life rarely are.
could function without them. I know I am guilty ofSo Madam or Mister President, will you help us help
this one, myself.ourselves?
Finally, we are staying up later and getting up earlier