Health Care Mess

I can’t really comment on the recently passed health care bill. Actually I haven’t read it and neither have most people that are making noise. It’s a pretty noisy subject if you ask me. I refuse to either support it or rail against it. That’s what everybody else is doing. I like to go against the grain.

Nice.

There are indisputable facts out there. First fact that stands out to me is that the abysmal health of the people in our wonderful country compared to the rest of the world. We spend trillions every year and our health is getting worst every year. Isn’t that just plain nuts?

How is that freakin’ possible?

It comes down to two glaring facts. One fact the government somehow NEEDS to fix at some point. It’s likely that this latest “health care” bill won’t help things but make them worst. My ignorance leaves me short of really having an actually opinion; it’s just a suspicion. Item number one on my agenda today is a one word answer: GREED.

OK, class, pop quiz time. Are there a lot of people, companies and entire industries that make a killing on our poor health? Uh… that would be a yes. The food industry alone is making a killing on feeding our kids CRAP in schools. Never mind the CRAP they put on the shelves at the super market. What if people were health conscious and didn’t buy Twinkies? EXACTLY.

So you get sick with Cancer. Who benefits from your misfortune? Too many to list. What if a “cure” for cancer came along tomorrow? Would we ever find out about it?
OK, let’s journey back from the cynical island people.

My bad. The point I really want to drive home is this: waaaaaay too many people make money when you get sick. Seriously. There are so many levels and so much money that it is sickening just to contemplate. No wonder our health is declining. We wouldn’t want all the insurance companies to lose money now would we?

I will stop short of saying that the government should run health care. People need to make a buck but why at the expense of you and I when we get sick. In an ideal world we would all pay part of our income to a pool to “insure” that we can have a top notch doctor treat us if we wreck out car or break our leg playing flag football.

I don’t want to go any deeper than that. It’s not my strength. We all just need to think about how many industries are involved.

By the way, here is a question to ponder. Why are there so many different medications for lower cholesterol or blood pressure? Why don’t all the companies just pool their resources and have just a few options? Yeah and why do the drug companies spend millions advertising to regular Joes like you and I when only doctors can write prescriptions? Maybe this is all part of the problem. Just sayin’.

Health care is a mess. It’s massively complex and just plain impossible to really fix now of ever. Or is it?

How about this scenario. You don’t get sick. Once every 8-10 you have a minor accident that requires some medical attention. Since the health care system isn’t a travesty you can pay your $2000-$3000 dollar medical bill because health care runs efficiently because people don’t clog it up with ridiculousness. (Yes that is a word) Most people live this scenario. Some people still get cancer, diabetes or typhoid fever but the cases are few and far between and treatable with the proper medications and therapies.

Doesn’t sound like much fun for the doctors and insurance and drug companies. As a matter of fact is awful for these industries. But the overwhelming percentage of the population will live longer and better and not have to worry about paying large chunks of their weekly pay for “health insurance”. This world may seem unreasonable to you but it is not. Plenty of people out there live this life. Don’t ask your doctor. He won’t tell you about this. Check out this cool little essay. It’s called “A Normal Life”:

http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/normal/A-Normal-Life/

OK, what I’m really trying to say is that we have a personal accountability problem in this country. People just don’t take 100% for being healthy each and every day their lives. Try this. For one month walk for 45 minutes EVERY day, drink no fluid besides water, and eat no dairy, sugar, flour, or salt.
What do you think will happen?

Now imagine your improved health after 6 months or a year. The fact is this is just too hard. We continue day in and day out to eat like crap, leave our lazy asses on the couch and whine and complain when health insurance is so much money.
News flash here: Disease and all the crap that goes with it is caused by lack of exercise and poor food choices. Until we figure this out there is no answer.
Here is what needs to happen. Our president (maybe one that doesn’t smoke. Just sayin’..) needs to stand tall in front of the American people and say this:

“My fellow Americans. We are fat and getting fatter. Disease is rampant. Our health can system is a travesty and embarrassment. We are the laughing stock of the world. This I cannot change. There is nothing that I can do to fix this problem. It’s out of my hands. You, however, can fix it. The answers lie within you. Its time, my fellow Americans, to say enough is enough. Starting today we need to stand together. Together we must stand up to all the industries and money grubbing scumbags that have been holding us down all these years. Tonight we turn this ship around. It starts in your home.

We must realize and accept that we have screwed up. We have had help, but we have screwed up. Despite what we’ve been told we have choices that we can make every day to improve our health. To make this happen we need do the following:

• Walk 45 minutes every day of the week. If you miss a day? That’s ok. Do your best.
• Eat only foods that nourish your body. No sugar, no enriched floor, no salt.
• Drink only water.
• Eliminate caffeine from your diet.
• Don’t smoke or drink alcohol.
• Have a positive attitude.
• Reduce and eliminate “stress” from your life.
• Smile and encourage others as much as you can.
• Read and enrich yourself every day.

“Your adherence to above simple principles is your ticket to health and wellness. The road will not be an easy one. It’s going to be a challenge. However, you need to bear this in mind: If you take 100% responsibility for your health then your health will be what you want it to be. If you continue to do what you have done in the past then your health with remain the same. You can change. Your health is up to you. From now on the government of the United States is going to….”

I’m no speech writer. The point is that it would be fabulous if, instead of spending so much time trying to fix the mess we call health care we spent a bit of time educating people on HOW to be healthy.

How about these CRAZY notions:

1. We teach REAL nutrition education in school.
2. School lunches were healthy.
3. Insurance covers radical things like nutrition counseling and personal training appointments.
4. Insurance companies refused to cover smokers or heavy drinkers.
5. Doctors actually learn and teach proper nutrition.
6. Drugs were not a MULTI BILLION dollar industry.

I guess I’m ranting again. I’ll stop.

I don’t know how to fix health care and neither does anybody else (obviously). The only thing that I can do is fulfill my mission by helping YOU to avoid the whole mess all together. Good luck. I’m here for you is you need me.

www.yourbestfitnesscoach.com