When it comes to issues, our country has got lots of them. And with an election just around the corner, we once again get to hear promises from every politician, most of which will end up being empty. Ask five people what they think the biggest issue in our country is right now, and you might get five different answers. And fixing just one issue would by no means catapult us to perfection. Each issue needs attention, but I believe health and healthcare could have the biggest positive impact on all aspects of American life.
A new report put out just last month by The Commonwealth Fund shows that the U.S. healthcare system ranks dead last among the top ten developed nations in health outcomes. I should also include the word “again.” Despite spending far more on healthcare than any other country, we still have the lowest life expectancy at birth and the highest rate of people with multiple chronic diseases. Every single chronic illness is at an all-time high right now. The stats are frightening.
I am a big believer in the idea that you must help yourself before helping others. If you are sick, weak, overweight, run-down, and tired, then you can’t function at 100%. This means that everything in your life is adversely affected… productivity, moods, energy, creativity, enthusiasm, relationships, etc. Anything that is important to you gets better if your health is better.
We should be ashamed with how poorly we’ve managed the health of our nation. And we should be disgusted for what we are doing to our children. Fifty percent of children suffer with at least one chronic illness, 40% have a mental illness diagnosis, 1 in 9 has asthma, learning disabilities are the highest they’ve ever been, and 74% of 18 to 24 year-olds are unfit to serve in our military. Our national security is severely threatened because of our poor health. If we are not interested in turning healthcare around for ourselves, we have an obligation to turn it around for the next generation.
It’s safe to say that what we have been doing for the last several decades has not worked. It’s also safe to say that if we continue doing what we have been doing, we will continue getting the same results. So, we must address the issues that must change if we are to stand a chance of turning things around.
Corruption is rampant within our governmental agencies. The FDA, CDC, and NIH have failed us completely. The FDA gets 75% of its funding from Big Pharma. Think that’s a problem??? Uh… YES! The NIH allocates very, very little money to diet, exercise, and lifestyle-related intervention. Why is that a concern? Because diet, exercise, and lifestyle-related interventions are the exact things that must change in order to achieve better health outcomes. And the CDC showed how pathetic it is during the COVID-19 pandemic. It MUST change!
I think it’s important to note that more drugs, better access to drugs, and even better insurance coverage, does not lead to healthier people. Better access to a broken healthcare system leads to more diagnosis, more diagnostic testing, more prescriptions, and more medical treatment, but clearly does not lead to healthier, happier, more fit, and less sick children, adults, or elderly.
We’d be naïve to think that we still have free and fair elections, as both sides surely lie, cheat, misspeak, and mislead. Our country is being laughed at by other nations. Our conduct has been shameful and embarrassing. If you stand behind either side fully without acknowledging the weaknesses, poor behavior, or shortcomings of your candidate or party, you are not being honest with yourself. If you think one side will be THE answer to all of our problems, you’re being delusional.
Sadly, many will be going to the polls and not voting for who they believe will do the best job, but will vote against who they think will do the most harm. I don’t discuss politics much, I would never tell another person who they should vote for, and I don’t have much faith in our political system as a whole, but I do believe that we must consider the most pressing issues. So… as you ponder your choices this November (I’m guessing most people’s minds are made up, have been for a long time, and are unlikely to be swayed by any news, information, or facts.), make sure the health of our nation is at the top of your “most important” issues list. Whoever you think has the best chance of turning our nation’s health crisis around is worth considering. As the health of our nation would improve, so would the productivity, happiness, world relations, clarity of vision, education, and any other issue that we struggle with right now.
Oh… and because our healthcare situation is unlikely to change immediately, no matter what steps are taken, you have the ability to turn your own health, and the health of your family, around RIGHT NOW. Why wait for anything or anyone to change something you, yourself, can start changing RIGHT NOW?
