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This is not a healthcare problem, this is a lifestyle problem. The US has led the world in lifestyle changes, which I would argue are almost entirely economica
by michaelteter 3y ago
This is not a healthcare problem, this is a lifestyle problem.
The US has led the world in lifestyle changes, which I would argue are almost entirely economically (capitalistic business) driven.
Incomplete and in no particular order, there are the government diet guidelines which have at times been primarily driven by certain industries (agricultural organizations including corn growers, sugarcane growers, dairy producers), including pharmaceutical industries... And then the energy industry + auto industry, which has led to more time sitting in cars, combined with the explosion of the fast food industry... And the soft drink industry where Coke began by promoting its drink as a health elixir... and on and on.
Of course, the "solutions" to many of the mistakes have been more industries pushing fixes like artificial sweeteners, "health" drinks, energy/sports drinks, low-fat processed foods, diet pills and fads, and other finance-based attempts to sell a new thing rather than address the real problems.
The rest of the world will follow suit in terms of health decline. It's already evident, as other countries adopt US patterns of prepackaged foods, fast foods, sugar (and fake sugar) drinks, cars, etc.
An easy way to spot this is to go to a country (like Netherlands, where I've been for some years). The older folks tend to be generally lean; many old folks here still bicycle. The < 30 crowd, particularly the 12-20 crowd is fatter and more American shaped. Go to parts of Asia and you see the same thing.
As comfort, convenience, and easy bad (cheap) choices expand, so do the bodies of the people. The younger ones who grow up with this have a different lifestyle than their parents or grandparents. While the older populations are indeed getting less healthy (increased body mass, reduced exercise), the change is slower for a number of reasons. Meanwhile, the kids who grow up with this new lifestyle start on a bad trajectory and know no alternative.
WALL-E pretty much illustrated the final state of the current trajectory we are on, both in health and ecologic terms.
- JimtheCoder 3y ago"The < 30 crowd, particularly the 12-20 crowd is fatter and more American shaped." I am going to rid my vocabulary of the word "fat" and just refer to people as "American Shaped" from now on...
- tptacek 3y agoThis is an article that is largely about how the life expectancy gap in the US isn't defined by health outcomes, but rather drugs, guns, and, most especially, cars.
- mensetmanusman 3y agoDrugs and guns are a lifestyle decision though...
- ebuck 3y agoNot always. You're making the mistake of assuming that drugs and guns are being chosen by the person that's potentially shortening their life. People die all the time due to other people's choices of embracing drugs and using guns. In a car with someone who's afraid of being caught with a little cocaine? Getting shot by someone who can't aim? There, you're now a victim of drugs or guns without making a lifestyle choice.
- michaelteter 3y agoI understand that, but when talking about where our priorities should be, I believe it should be on assessing lifestyle and options first. It's also a matter of quality of life vs pure "life expectancy" being worth consideration. Dying unexpectedly, even in large numbers is unfortunate. But a majority of the population living lower quality lives for reasons which can be addressed is more of a priority. And it could be that addressing the real health issues will also involve improving some of the issues which lead to early death. For example, with alcohol, why is alcohol use high? Could it be somewhat due to the insane amount of advertising and promotion by the alcohol industry? Could it be because, as people's lives tend to be less happy or lower quality, they seek easy distraction and escape? Same with cars; cities built for humans instead of for cars will mean less car deaths and healthier people.
- mym1990 3y agoWhile accountability on people to change their lifestyles would be ideal, the truth is that marketing as a domain has such a deep understanding of how to get humans to go towards something. And that something is almost never the healthy and happy thing. You don’t see ads for broccoli. And policy is driven by billions of dollars in lobby money, no way of turning that tide.
- mym1990 3y agoIf the healthCARE system cannot be factored into how poor the health of its citizens is, then what’s the point of it? The truth is that the healthcare system in the US is a massive source of revenue. There is little preventative practices going on because those don’t make money. If you don’t think healthcare is a part of the problem in the US, you must never have participated in it.
- JumpCrisscross 3y ago> There is little preventative practices going on because those don’t make money Source? Testing and preventative care is both profitable and widespread in America. (It's not universal.)
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]