The Big Picture in Health
The health care in our country is poor. Many of you know a
person who, or maybe you yourself, has a chronic illness that has not gotten
better or worse. The spending in the US for health care is unbelievable. Here
are some facts that I hope will create a bigger picture.
Our overall Health Care is POOR:
- 75% of all health care spending in the US is for the treatment of PREVENTABLE chronic illnesses – such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and arthritis
- The overall trend is poor --- From 2000-2009:
- Cases Heart Disease have risen 25%
- Cases Diabetes have risen 32%
- Cases stroke have risen 27%
- 1 in 3 Children born after 2000 will develop diabetes
Our overall spending is unbelievable:
- Health care in the US is aimed at the high-tech treatment of disease; much less on lifestyle counseling and wellness promotion
- A modest focus on prevention and behavioral change could between $217 Billion and $1.6 Trillion over the next 10 years.
- Proof of the problem: the US spends more money than any other country for health care – yet we rank 37th in health quality among developed nations.
We are the word’s least cost-effective health care system.
We spend without seeing many results. We have research ongoing with no sight of
solving any problems. What lacks from
our health care are two things: Lifestyle Counseling and Wellness Promotion!
Many of the chronic illnesses are preventable by the
lifestyle choices we make. Our society
is sedentary. We consume bad foods, or our food is covered in toxic chemicals
that make them unhealthy. Many of our allopathic medical doctors don’t have
enough training to do this. Little by little they are waking up to something
that Naturopathic Doctors have been doing for years and have seen successes
with.
Naturopathic Doctors are the future of health care. We
address those areas where your everyday doctor does not dare to go. We ask the
questions. We take the time to listen to the patient. We address the root cause
of the problem, which usually stems from lifestyle factors and nutrition. We
educate patients on the importance of wellness.
Now I must say that to get healthy will take a lot of time
and discipline. There is no quick fix. Chronic
illnesses didn’t just pop up overnight. They slowly develop within you. You
must be committed and ready to embark on a journey to health. Naturopathic doctors are there to guide and
help you along the way.
If you, or someone you know, have a chronic illness and are
tired of taking medications after medication with no sign of getting back to
health; if you want to improve your health; or just want to experience what
naturopathic medicine is, then visit the following websites to find one closest
to you. Naturopathic Doctors are
licensed in 20 states to practice medicine, but there may be a Naturopath near
you that does consultations.
Look for a naturopathic doctor by searching the following
websites:
In Texas - Texas Association of Naturopathic Doctors
Nationally - American Association of Naturopathic Physicians