Health Improves

Advances in health care and health care delivery allow physicians to perform modern day miracles. It has made it possible to treat symptoms and cure diseases once thought to be untreatable and incurable. However, the most impressive benefit of modern day medicine is the increase in our lifespan. The increase in our lifespan should be a blessing but our bad habits have turned it into a curse. Our overeating, under-exercising, consuming bad foods, smoking, overspending and under-saving; has prevented us from enjoying the fruits of medical technology. Let me tell you how to change it.

Americans eat and drink too much food. We underestimate how many calories we actually “inhale” on a daily basis. We are living to eat instead of eating to live. Americans are also extremely sedentary. We overestimate how many calories we burn on a daily basis or ignore calorie counting altogether. Technology and the use of computers has changed the focus of our lives from manual play and labor to having to expend a minimal amount of energy to make it through the day.

The combination of overeating and under-exercising has produced a country filled with overweight and obese individuals. This increase in body weight has helped increase the number of Americans with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, asthma and many types of cancer. Our decreasing health has led to an equal decrease in quality of life and increase in the cost of health care.

Overeating is not the only food problem we have. We also consume the wrong foods. The typical American diet is too high in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium and processed carbohydrates. The American diet is also too low in unsaturated fats, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The highs and lows of our diet has also contributed to the increase in the number of Americans with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and many types of cancer.

Modern medicine is allowing us to live longer lives. Unfortunately, these long lives are not healthy lives. Our bad habits, including overeating, under-exercising, and consuming unhealthy foods, have turned the gift of long life into a curse.