The Rising Cost of Health Care |
Overweight and obesity are the most recent health epidemics affecting
Americans. In fact, 2003 statistics classify nearly 2/3 of Americans
as overweight and 1/3 of those same individuals obese. There is there
is a very clear correlation between overweight and obesity and increasing
health care premiums which, not surprisingly, are also on the rise.
There are a number of co-morbidities associated with obesity. In fact, over half
of the major causes of mortality in western societies are related to unhealthy
lifestyles, physical inactivity, unhealthy eating, and obesity. The only way
to improve the health of the nation, reduce the burden of disease and, subsequently,
reduce the economic demands of being overwhelmed by the need for health care,
is to begin to make healthy lifestyle changes.
America is a nation of fast food, convenience, and quick fixes. Accepting personal responsibility for your own lifestyle is crucial in order to positively reduce the obesity epidemic sweeping the nation. A recent study published in 2002 showed that abdominal obesity, smoking and poor cardiovascular fitness increased the risk of coronary events over five times-this means increased health care costs!
Lifestyle habits aren’t only an issue that adults need to concern themselves with; the obesity epidemic in children is also on the rise and is a time bomb waiting to explode. For example, non-insulin dependent diabetes, a disease once thought to only affect adults, has now been seen in children who are overweight and inactive. In fact, it is estimated that out of those born in the year 2000, 1 in 3 will be afflicted with non-insulin dependent diabetes; again, this means higher health care costs in the future.
The way to slow rising health care costs is by taking control of your health through prevention; increase your physical activity, decrease your unhealthy fat and soft drink intake, increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables, and lead by example! Instead of relying on prescription medications, individuals need to make lifestyle changes that can help prevent disease.
Rather than directing our resources at disease intervention,
we need to change direction and focus on disease prevention. Until
that happens, health insurance premiums will continue to burden
the nation.
What Color is Your Diet?
It should be no surprise to hear that including a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet is a wise idea; however, there is now even more proof of this fact. A recent study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Forum found that high intakes of fruits and vegetables translated to lower health care costs later on in life.
Participants in this study were followed for 25 years and their fruit intake, among other factors, was measured overtime. At the beginning of the study, all subjects were 40-55 years of age and were free from heart disease. Subjects were grouped by their total fruit and vegetable consumption: low (less than 14 cups per month), middle (14-42 cups per month), and high (more than 42 cups per month—which translates to about 1.5 cups per day). The researchers found that those in the high fruits/vegetables group had the lowest total annual Medicare charges ($11,416) and the lowest charges related to coronary heart disease (America’s #1 cause of mortality). Those in the lowest fruit/vegetable consumption group had annual medical charges of $14,655 and those in the middle group had annual charges of $12,622.
The authors stated that “With 20 percent of the U.S. population estimated to be 65 years or older by the year 2030, the potential to contain health care costs by implementing healthy lifestyles and healthy eating habits earlier in life has important implications for future health care expenditures.”
It is currently recommended we consume a minimum of five or more servings of fruit and vegetables EACH day; this study is yet one more positive finding to support these recommendations.
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For more information about healthy eating and incorporating a variety of nutrients in the diet, check out Mohr Results - Grocery Shopping Made Easy DVD! |
