Dr. Dodge: Passion for Health

“Enjoy Vibrant Life and Health” 

September 15, 2009 Volume 1, No. 9 

The health care issue has dominated the news this summer. It is an important issue, but unfortunately the national debate about it has often become acrimonious and divisive. In my health letter today, we’ll look at this subject from a fresh perspective. 

The phrase, “Health Care,” as used in the national health care debate, usually has more to do with disease care than health care. Disease care is important. If I am seriously ill, I want to know that I will be well cared for. That is why we all want good health insurance. However, true health care is different from disease care. Caring for health is more than treating or preventing disease. Caring for health means building good health.  

As individuals and as a nation, we Americans can do much better in building health than we have done in recent decades. International health statistics reveal that the people of many other countries are healthier than we are. There is no intrinsic reason for us to be deficient in our health status. We can be healthier if we choose to be. 

I see a vision of a truly healthy America, with people of all ages enjoying vibrant health. I see people enjoying life at work and at play, at home and in the community. I see good health becoming a reality for millions of people who live with poor or marginal health today. Is this a real possibility, or is it simply a utopian pipe-dream? It depends on us.  

Americans can choose to embrace a national vision of a vibrantly healthy America. They can learn to adopt and enjoy healthier lifestyles. National leaders can approve policies to encourage truly good health for all Americans. Or they can keep tinkering with various health insurance plans that let people continue to muddle along with mediocre health.  

We need answers to three critical questions before a vision of a truly “Healthy America” can be considered as a serious possibility by most Americans. The first question: “How is a vision of a future healthy America relevant to today’s burning health care issues?”  

There is a two-fold answer to this question. Many research studies make it clear that healthy lifestyles create healthier lives. As a result, the risks of developing chronic diseases are significantly reduced. Individuals who adopt healthy lifestyles lower their risk of needing high cost medical care. They enjoy better health with lower costs.

When enough individuals do this, similar results can be expected nationally. We would have a much healthier nation. Conservative estimates are that healthier lifestyles on a national scale can decrease mortality in the United States by 35 percent. Our national health care crisis would be easier to resolve, and health insurance would become more affordable. The caveat is that it could take ten years for such results to become evident. 

The second question: “Is the vision of a healthy America really attainable?”

The answer is “Yes, it is attainable.” A deeper question is whether we have the will to make it attainable. The basic principles of healthy living are simple:

Eat healthy - eat lots of veggies, fruit, and whole grains;

Exercise healthy - walk 45 minutes briskly, six days a week;

Live healthy - avoid toxic environments, toxic emotions, and toxic foods, or, putting it positively, embrace clean environments and positive emotions.  

Anyone from a child to a centenarian can understand these principles. The sticking point is the behavior change often needed to follow them well. This is not a minor issue. It is a major stumbling block in the way of healthy lifestyles. It is the underlying reason why a healthy America is not on the agenda in our national health care debate.  

The absence of a “vibrantly healthy America” on our national health care agenda means that most people, including ordinary citizens, politicians, policy makers, and even many health care professionals, do not think this is a practically attainable goal for our nation.  

Changing habitual behavior is a challenge. It seems like it should be easy because it’s not hard to decide to make desirable changes. New Year’s resolutions are easy to make. Achieving lasting change is another story. It is hard. That’s why most New Year’s resolutions are broken within a few weeks, and why poor health practices are common.  

So, should we give up on the ideal of a vibrantly healthy America simply because it is a hard goal to reach? I think not! Every instinct in me cries out that this is an immensely valuable goal that should not be abandoned. It is a high ideal, worthy of our best long-term efforts on both individual and national levels, and it does not require any new laws.  

We know that people become healthier when they adopt good health practices. Support groups offer major help to those who want to do this. Establishing “Healthy Lifestyle” support groups where anyone is interested in healthy lifestyles would be powerful. America could become a healthier nation within ten years.  

It will not do so through health care reform alone. Badly as reform is needed, it will not reduce heart disease or obesity. This is one of the reasons that health care reform is so difficult to agree upon. No matter how it is structured, it will not bring us better health. My fantasy is that some day, our leaders will catch the vision of a truly healthy America.  

If President Obama declared that a “Healthy America” was in our best national interest and made it a national goal to reach certain health benchmarks in five years, it would be a major step in the right direction. It would give a “Healthy America” campaign high visibility and prestige, especially if the first family modeled the “Healthy America” image.  

The third critical question: “How costly will it be to develop a healthy America?” The monetary cost involved to promote a healthy America will be relatively small. Savings and benefits accruing from a healthier nation through the years will eventually outweigh any costs involved.

To conclude, although our leaders may never catch the vision, a “Healthy America” makes good sense from every perspective. Let’s do our part to help make it happen!

Be Well!  

Ed Dodge, MD