"The wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings. Let food be your medicine."
As Obama and Congress attempt to reform the U.S. health care system, I hope that we seriously consider the need for nutrition and preventative medicine to be integral components of health care. Bill Clinton once said that we don't have a health care system in the U.S., we have a sick care system. We practice medicine by prescribing drugs to people that are sick rather than promoting health through nutrition and preventative medicine. It seems like it should be common sense so it's surprising that it can be such a tough sell. From both a productivity and fiscal standpoint, we would be enormously better off if we were a nation of healthy and vibrant people. The integration of nutrition and lifestyle choices can begin with doctors and hospitals. Consider the dreaded hospital food, which is almost on par with airplane food for its popularity. Certain foods have been scientifically shown to have a positive affect on the immune system and reducing inflammation, the cause of almost all disease. And yet, in cancer hospitals we find that patients are being fed food that actually aggravates their condition.
Further, if the goal is to improve the health of our nation, while lowering costs, we should consider the cost of a healthy diet and if needed, subsidize the cost of fruits and vegetables (rather than the meet and dairy industries) in order to all for people of all incomes to have a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and healthy grains. While this might sound like an added expense, the public already pays for the medical expenses of chronic health conditions associated with a poor diet, such as diabetes and hypertension. Why not lower costs by improving health through diet.
In the meantime, I am taking my health into my own hands in the hopes of reducing my need for traditional medical care. I look forward to the day when health care does not mean prescription drugs, insurance companies and
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