Put down the pills… it’s time to meditate!
On January 9th, the Wall Street Journal published an interesting and especially note worthy article titled ‘Alternative’ Medicine Is Mainstream. The article summarizes and outlines simple evidence that diet and exercise are the best “cure” for our most common ailments.
‘Alternative’ medicine, as the authors of this article title it, is what most of us commonly think of as ‘Preventative’ medicine. The way in which we live our daily lives that will help to stave off America’s most common chronic conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, hypertension… I believe, though many of us choose to reject this line of thinking or simply just ignore it, that most of us know this to be true.
The most compelling aspect of the article comes quite a ways into the piece. Studies have shown that America spent more than $100 BILLION in 2006 on coronary bypass and coronary angioplasty procedures. The article continues, “Despite these costs, a randomized controlled trial published in April 2007 in The New England Journal of Medicine found that angioplasties and stents do not prolong life or even prevent heart attacks in stable patients (i.e., 95% of those who receive them).” They have only been shown to prolong life in less than 3% of the cases. Further to this point, a study followed 30,000 men and women on six continents and found that lifestyle changes could prevent at least 90% of all heart disease.
So what’s the point you ask? Well the point is that our healthcare system is set up to service and receive payment for disease treatment. Sickness treatment – that’s it!! Our government and private insurance companies are currently paying billions of dollars for procedures that are clinically proven to not extend life. Why have we not begun incentivizing people to be healthy and the system for keeping them healthy? Why have we not started spending insurance premiums on health and wellness, and as the article mentioned, finding out what “wellness” or “alternative medicine” works best for each individual?
Lifestyle changes are difficult. I know!! I hit the snooze button this morning instead of getting up and going on the run I planned. I myself am guilty on not making 100% effort. If it were easy, everyone would be fit right?
But this is not the take away. No more excuses – that’s the take away. It’s time we start getting healthy. It’s time to put down all those pills and pick up a gym membership. The odds are that the gym membership costs less. Heck, if you are taking a bunch of brand name drugs, you could probably even get a personal trainer, or a life coach, for that price. It’s time we start trying to change the healthcare system and the most tangible way for everyone to contribute is to make a little effort… let’s start getting healthy!
