Her Health: It's a Personal Responsibility

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, “Health is a personal responsibility.”  I recently had the honor of hearing Dr. Weil and Dr. Richard Carmona speak together on the future of health care in the United States.  Dr. Carmona is a former U.S. Surgeon General, now vice chairman of the Canyon Ranch resort and spa, and president of the non-profit Canyon Ranch Institute. Dr. Weil is a well-respected, physician, author and leader in the field of integrative medicine.  He is the founder of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, where I just completed a two-year fellowship. Both of these health care leaders readily acknowledge that, in spite of recent measures taken by Congress, we are heading for an unmitigated crisis in health care.

In his most recent book, Why Our Health Matters: A Vision of Medicine That Can Transform Our Future, Dr. Weil describes that the cost of health care in 2009, will have been $2.5 trillion. That represents more than 16 percent of our GDP and averages out to $8,160 per person (or more than $32,000 for a family of four; yes, that’s correct $32,000 for a family of four!).  By 2012, the total cost of health care in the United States is estimated to reach $3.1 trillion.  Clearly, health care costs are skyrocketing, increasing our national debt, and making it difficult for U.S. companies to compete globally.  While, many people believe we have the best health care in the world, the truth is, only for those who can afford it.  A recent World Health Organization rated the United States 42nd in overall life expectancy with our overall health care ranked 37th in the world.  This while we spend twice as much per capita on health care as other developed nations.

In spite of the amazing advances in technology, our current lifestyle is leading the rapid growth of many chronic, expensive and debilitating diseases.  According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, in 2008, “$2.1 trillion was spent in the U.S. on medical care.  Of these trillions, 95 cents of every dollar was spent to treat disease after it had already occurred.  At least 75 percent of these costs were spent on treating chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, that are preventable or even reversible.” 

So, why does this matter?  In order to fix healthcare, we must not look to policy makers and politicians to solve all of our problems. Real change in our healthcare system begins with us accepting personal responsibility for our health and the health of our families.  A healthier country begins in our homes, in our schools, and on our sidewalks and playgrounds.  We need a grassroots effort and we need to start now.  What better time than the New Year?

Dr. Carmona summed it up with five simple recommendations: eat less, move more, don’t smoke, buckle your seatbelt, and wear a helmet. Since buckling a seatbelt and wearing a helmet are easy, preventive solutions to implement, I’d like to focus on the other three.

Eat less.  We now know that obesity is linked to more than 30 diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, stroke, and osteoarthritis. It is currently estimated that one-third of Americans are obese and another third are overweight.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports our daily caloric consumption has increased 24.5 percent since 1970. That is an average increase of 530 calories per person per day.  For every 3500 calories you consume that you don’t use, you will gain one pound.  For every 3500 calories you use that you don’t consume, you will lose one pound. So this average increase intake has significant implications and is thought to be one of the major contributors to the obesity epidemic facing our country.  Where are all these calories coming from?  Certainly, our portion sizes are much larger than they were in the 1950’s.   And the 85,000 fast food restaurants in the United States could possibly be a part of the problem.  The USDA also reports that we are consuming two to three pounds of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup per person per week.  This is a 39 percent increase since the 1950’s and is also, undoubtedly, contributing to our excessive caloric consumption. 

Clearly, we are paying the price for our fast and highly processed foods; and the price, for many of us, is our health.  The solution begins at home.  While the government recommends 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables/day, many health experts are now recommending 7-8 fruits and vegetables a day, avoiding highly processed foods, and limiting portion sizes.  This is not as difficult as it may seem. You can begin by following a few simple rules:

Avoid foods your great-grandparents wouldn’t recognize.  It does involve a little planning around meal preparation, but it can be done. 

Prepare simple meals with lean meats, whole grains and lots of veggies, and recycle leftovers into soups or casseroles later in the week. 

Learn to read labels and avoid foods with ingredients you can’t pronounce.

Take advantage of the wonderful farmers’ markets and consumer supported agriculture (CSA’s) that are available in our community.  Not only is it healthy, it’s great for the environment and a wonderful opportunity to become more connected with your food sources and the farmer’s supplying it.

Prepare ahead so you can avoid fast food on busy days.  Buy a slow-cooker and learn to use it.

Increase your awareness of school nutrition.  If you’re not satisfied that your child is being fed well-balanced meals at school, either talk to your school principal or start sending lunch with your child.

Watch portion sizes and limit sugar intake.

While “fresh is best,” frozen fruits and vegetables are more affordable and still healthy.  Use these over canned and highly processed foods.

Move more.  Today’s kids are very sedentary spending a significant amount of time watching TV, playing video games, or using a computer. In the early 1900’s the average American, spent five hours day doing physical activity.  Now we spend much less of our day doing any physical activity at all.  The conveniences of modern technology have led us to become much more sedentary.  We must begin to move more.  The American College of Sports Medicine recommends a minimum of two-and-a-half hours per week of moderate intensity exercise.  Personally, I think we need more. Get moving and take your loved ones with you.  As a public policy, we need more sidewalks and bike paths.  Call your local politicians and advocate for more sidewalks, bike paths, and greenways. 

Don’t smoke.  Smoking accounts for 430,000 premature deaths/year.  If you smoke, quit.  Get help if you need it.  There are many smoking cessation programs available and multiple options available for help.  Many insurance companies and hospitals offer smoking cessation classes.  There are medications that can help as well.  In our office, we offer a program that includes emotional support, stress reduction, hypnosis, and medications when necessary. 

Teach your kids about smoking as well. Studies show that the younger a child is when they first smoke, the more likely they will become addicted.  Kids who do not smoke before age 20 have a 90 percent chance of never becoming addicted to smoking.  This is the reason tobacco companies targeted kids for so many years.  Empower your kids with this knowledge early.  It will make us a healthier nation in the long run.

So there you have it.  Health is a personal responsibility. And as women, it is up to us to begin to change the health of our families, our community, and our nation.  Let’s make 2010 the year we start to turn this ship around.  We’ll be healthier and happier for it. 

Catherine Stallworth, M.D., is a medical doctor specializing in integrative medicine at Nashville Integrated Medicine, a facility offering a variety of programs to improve overall health and well being.  This includes a comprehensive medically supervised weight loss program and personalized physician consultations for health promotion and disease prevention.