We put better gas in our cars than food in our bodies. Every general article on healthcare cost makes only a very brief mention of the role of prevention. Healthcare costs have steadily risen since the 80's. At $2.6 trillion dollars in 2010, it is 10 times what it was back then. 17.9% of our GDP goes to healthcare costs. New drugs and new medical technology, some of which is neither cost effective or very efficacious, are a major reason for the increase in costs. In our profit driven society, healthcare included, this is not going to slow down any time soon. 75% of our healthcare dollars goes to the treatment of chronic medical conditions such as heArt disease, hypertension, hypercholesteremia, diabetes, arthritis,and now, may we add a new one, obesity. These are primarily lifestyle associated diseases. These chronic illness are for the most part preventable. 75% of our 2.6 trillion dollars per year goes to treat preventable disease. This is only the money side of the crisis.
The third leading cause of death in the US (2002 data) behind heart disease and cancer is "medical care". Roughly a quarter of a million people per year die of medical care meant to alleviate our suffering and disease. Many of these deaths too are preventable through safeguards to prevent errors in care. However, roughly 106,000 patients die per year from appropriate care. These are bad reactions to drugs and procedures that are no one's fault. Call it had luck or whatever. Healthcare is risky business.
Having been in the profession as an anesthesiologist with cardiac anesthesia training, I have personally seen our population grow sideways. Diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, increased cholesterol are rampant. I calculate BMI's (body mass index, a measurement of obesity) on my patients that come to surgery and it is now rare to find a patient in the normal range of < 25kg/m-squared. Just the other day I met a 9 year old, 224 lbs and 5'1" with a BMI over 42 (greater than 40 is "morbid" obesity)
Obesity is a direct contributor to much of our chronic lifestyle diseases particularly type 2 diabetes, or so-called adult-onset diabetes. This adult-onset classification will no doubt need to be change as we are now seeing this is children. This type of diabetes is, itself, a direct cause of much of our chronic illness.
We live in a society driven by profit and at the present time, and for the past 40 years, unhealthy high animal-protein, high sugar food are the most profitable. We are what we eat. It we continue to consume such foods we will continue to increase the prevalence of chronic illness. Healthcare costs will continue to escalate. The will not only rise but they will exponentially increase as 10,000 baby boomers reach 65 years of age every day bringing with them all their maladies.
We need a major paradigm shift and the food industry itself is going to need to take the lead. Until we have support of industry it is virtually impossible to get our populous to change. We also need to change. We need to take more responsibility for our health. The healthcare profession is a risky industry. It also is a very profitable industry and very few players want it to change. Pharmaceutical companies do not want to cure anything. They want us to be dependent on their medications forever. Don't let anybody fool you. Few people do anything in this country if there is not a profit to be made.
We need to wake up. If we wait to long, most of our profit will be needed to pay for a sick malnourished, obese population. Our workforce will be very expensive to take care of. A company, a hospital though all companies will follow suit, refuses to hire people over a BMI of 35. That is 250 lbs, 5'10". Companies will increase outsourcing of labor to a healthier workforce. Unemployment will rise to levels not seen before. The only hope would be to label "obesity" a disability and then failure to hire based on it would be deemed illegal. What are we doing to ourselves.
When are we going to wake up. Look at the facts. I don't hear anyone really talking about this. Animal-based protein causes heart disease and many cancers. yes, this is a major paradigm shift. Yes, it may disrupt our economy temporarily. But not changing what we put in our bodies will destroy our economy. I have absolutely no doubt about that.
