Today I watched some of the Bipartisan Meeting on Health Reform. While there were some good points made, I really don’t have the sense that the Democrats are willing to do what the public wants:   To come up with a new plan with a greater emphasis on cost cutting and without all the special deals for individual states, pharma and the hospitals. Should the whole sector (excepting doctors offices) be not for profit?

I came across a web page that listed several of the most inspiring bible verses and thought I would share them:

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Isaiah 40:31
Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Matt. 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matt. 7:7-11
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:31
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances , for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I was eating a vege taco last when out of boredom I picked up a Westword magazine to see what awesome upcoming concerts I would not be attending soon.  As I worked my way to the back of the magazine, I was surprised to see all flavors of ads for Medical Marijuana.  

While I voted in favor of Medical Marijuana, these ads really didn’t seem particularly directed at cancer or HIV patients.  In fact, the ads really seemed clearly geared at your average 20 something young adult.  One of the ads made it sound like you could show up, get diagnosed and be up grooving down the road with up to 2 ounces of potent herb within just a couple of days.  It seems like just in the last couple of weeks this industry has mushroomed (sic) and I now see these ads in magazines, TV commercials and on radio spots. 

Apparently if you have trouble sleeping at night that will be sufficient for Doctor Feelgood (nod to Motley Crue) to write you up a prescription for some tasty buds.  I still stand behind using Medical Marijuana to provide relief for people with glaucoma, cancer, chronic pain, and other serious conditions, but these ads have an overt “wink, wink” element to them that tells me they are marketing to the much larger client base of regular folks on a hunt for some legal “chronic.”   After all, businesses exist to service and/or create new customers, right?

From what I can tell, they are selling super strong weed that is a powerful drug.  This aint the Mexican giggle weed of the 1970’s.   I am concerned that this cheap potent smoke will find its way to kids that will end up going from half baked to fully baked as quick as you can say, “Pass the bong.”  As if young adults don’t have enough challenges with the recession, by all means lets give them inexpensive  mind blowing weed that saps away their motivation to do anything beyond making a Taco Bell run.

What are your thoughts on this scintillating issue.   Sorry, I couldn’t resist all the dope puns.

As Congress contemplates health care reform measures that will almost certainly devolve into a single payer health care system funded by the tax payers, I can’t help but think about the Russia of old.   A land where people may have hated the jobs chosen for them, but they did have job security.  A land where citizens were frustrated by a general sense of lack, but their neighbors certainly were not faring any better.  

Russia was a country where many people had poor diets and drank themselves into oblivion with cheap plentyful vodka, but at least their health care was free.  Their health care may not have been good or fast, but it was a free benefit provided by the government.

Today America has some of the best health care services in the world and also some of the most costly health services in the world.   Who’s to blame for that?  It is a complicated matter, but  without question many hospitals, specialists and drug companies are making way too much money and doctors don’t do enough preventative medicine.  Clearly the health industry companies perform a public service and should earn narrower profit margins and be more civic minded than other types of ’for profit’ corporations.  

However, the American public must also assume its fair share of responsibility for their present predicament.   Of the 2.5 million annual deaths in America, nearly half of those could be prevented if the people simply lived healthier lives.   Think about all the health care services that could have been avoided with increased personal responsibility in America.    Let’s use a new studyfrom PLoS Medicine to try and quantify this:

1. Smoking: 467,000 deaths.
2. High blood pressure: 395,000 deaths.
3. Overweight-obesity: 216,000 deaths.
4. Inadequate physical activity and inactivity: 191,000 deaths.
5. High blood sugar: 190,000 deaths.
6. High LDL cholesterol: 113,000 deaths.
7. High dietary salt: 102,000 deaths.
8. Low dietary omega-3 fatty acids (seafood): 84,000 deaths.
9. High dietary trans fatty acids: 82,000 deaths.
10. Alcohol use: 64,000 deaths.
11. Low intake of fruits and vegetables: 58,000 deaths.
12. Low dietary poly-unsaturated fatty acids: 15,000 deaths.

Some of these common areas can be combined to come up with some mind blowing numbers.   45% of the deaths can be attributed to poor dietary choices alone!  While smoking deaths are half of what they were in the 1950’s, food has taken over as a huge killer (and cost driver for health care services).  Smoking still kills 20% of Americans every year, so let’s not take our eye off of that one.

Are we going to wind up like Russians, but instead of vodka, will Americans continue to swill unhealthy food while watching screens (TV’s, PC’s, Cell Phones) most of the day and night rather than engaging in physical inactivity? 

I hope that America will return to an era of personal responsibility and that we won’t hand over our entire health care system to the government.  I do hope the government starts working to better educate the public on healthier living and lifestyles and even places “unhealthy lifestyle” taxes on unhealthy junk food, as well as increasing taxes booze and cigarettes.  

Maybe we can even get the geniuses on Madison Avenue to come up with a campaign to promote a healthier America.  Seems like the least they can do after making hundreds of millions of dollars selling the public harmful food, booze and cigarettes.

On that note, I think I’ll go ride my bike.

Welcome to the first blog about sustainable health.  As America takes strides towards universal health and health reform, this blog will discuss what that means and what the possible implications are.  I hope we can work together to come up with ideas to improve our physical and mental health.

While I want our health services system to improve and for everyone in America to have access to affordable health care, I am troubled by some of the comparisons between America and other countries.  While it is true that many European countries have lower cost health care, it is also true that the average European is healthier than the average American.

Europeans are more prone to regular exercise, have a better diet and have lower incidents of obesity and diabetes than Americans.   I think we need to redesign the health services sector to where it provides financial incentives to doctors to improve the health of its patients. 

While that seems obvious the current system provides little financial incentive for doctors to do anything but order tests and treat disease.  If I’m supposed to go to the dentist every 6 months, why isn’t there a similar requirement for my doctor? 

I also write a blog on Health Care Reform that you can find from the “News” link in the footer at the Colorado Health Insurance Brokers home page.  Your comments are always welcome!