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"It could easily be made better by including a VO2Max test and a DEXA scan every few years." Frankly, the vast majority of people don't need fancy tests. The t
by giantg2 3y ago
"It could easily be made better by including a VO2Max test and a DEXA scan every few years."
Frankly, the vast majority of people don't need fancy tests. The thing is, the healthcare system is not about optimizing health or performance. It's mostly about fixing problems and heading off the most common ones in the easiest ways. If the goal was to optimize, it would be relatively easy for a trained individual to examine most people and tell them to lose weight and exercise more. Hell, you could blindfold the person and their advice would still be right like 80% of the time.
- BenFranklin100 3y agoI think you neglect the motivation factor. Hard data that can be quantitatively tracked is motivating for many. Think of the fitness tracker market. It’s huge. For myself, the tests served as a wake-up call in a way that knowing I was 10-15 lbs too pudgy and not the fastest runner was not. At the very least, good medical care provides information. What the individual does with it is up to them.
- giantg2 3y agoI get it. But you can get similar data from the old-fashioned way of measuring circumferences, weight, height, pinch test, etc to get body fat percentages, or the VO2 max approximation tests. The other thing to point out, is the only people getting/doing any of these tests are already motivated enough to give a damn. Yes, medical care should provide information. There are lower tech and cheaper ways to provide actionable information. But like you said, it's up to the individual. Either the will is there or it isn't. If someone knows they would benefit from the visual representation of a scan, they can ask for one. Technically DEXA carries some risk with x-ray exposure if done on a recurring basis.