As 2012 moves toward its culmination, America remains in an
economic funk. Everyday life is bearable for most, good for some, and
downright painful for others. The struggles and lack of stability of the
everyday man are a microcosm of America's economical woes. One major
financial concern facing us on both a personal and governmental level is
healthcare. The overall cost of healthcare in America is astronomically
high and predicted to rise even higher. This expense currently is and
will continue to have a crippling effect on our economy. Interestingly,
as America continues to spend more on healthcare than any other nation,
it remains one of the sickest. Billions of dollars are being spent every
year, a good portion of which go towards the treatment of cancer,
coronary heart disease, and type-2 diabetes, all preventable diseases
that are currently claiming lives at an alarming rate.
How can a country that allocates so much money toward healthcare have a population that continues to suffer from illness and disease at such a high rate? One of the main reasons is our way of eating, otherwise known as the Western Diet. This is an eating system saturated in processed, convenient, and cheap food that can be found in the majority of fast food restaurants and on most supermarket shelves. It is also the reason for the current obesity epidemic in this country. Americans are eating themselves into lethargy, illness, and early graves as a handful of powerful food companies use all means necessary to shove unhealthy, devoid-of-nutrient foods down our throats, unabated by the same government that spends absurd amounts of monies on healthcare. As these companies grow richer and richer, and as food becomes more of a mass-produced and cost-effective science experiment, we remain the mindlessly consuming victims.
Sadly, there is no massive food industry reform in sight, although a movement towards wholesome, organic food is well underway. The quality food costs more hence cheap and unhealthy food often takes precedence when one considers the aforementioned economic issues affecting a major portion of the population. So how do we move away from the bad food and towards a healthy lifestyle in today's tough times?
First, we have to make the effort to educate ourselves and our children regarding what exactly it is that we are eating every day. We need to know what is going into our bodies. Once the personal connection is made between the consumption of processed food and the subsequent health issues it creates, we can begin making the necessary choices to force the hand of the food industry. Food companies do not have to shower the nation with substandard products, but they will continue to do so unless the educated consumer stops choosing bad food. These huge corporations will do whatever it takes to create profit, and in doing so they will continue not to take our health into consideration.
As more people choose organic, unprocessed, and local farm foods over processed, unhealthy products, the food industry will have no choice but to provide us with good food. The demand for healthy food will grow and appropriate pricing will follow. Ideally, healthy goods will flip prices with bad food and become much more affordable, thus no longer being a financial burden for many citizens. The government can further this process by subsidizing quality food.
Second, the mindset of "if I want to be obese, sick, and unhealthy then it's my choice", should no longer be an option. Each individual's poor health choices impact the healthcare system and economy as a whole. It's not okay for someone to be nonchalant about their health when someone else's tax dollars are going towards their expensive medication. Aside from the overall economic strain that our unhealthy lifestyles are creating, there is an even greater impact in the home. Sickness puts a huge financial and emotional strain on the family. Do you want to be a burden to your kids at a time when they should be concentrating on enjoying their life and raising their children? I hope not.
The time is now to begin making the right choices with respect to what we eat. The obesity epidemic has overtaken America, creating an unhealthy, tired, and sick population. Obesity also continues to place a profound financial strain on the country, with already absurd healthcare costs predicted to rise even higher. Furthermore, we are stunting the ultimate potential of our children and sending them to illness and early graves by raising them on the Western diet. This needs to stop now. The onslaught of coronary heart disease, cancer, and type-2 diabetes can be halted through a return to quality, organic, unprocessed, and local foods. Choose, buy, and demand quality food. In the process you will better your health, your families' health, and collectively alter the bleak outlook of healthcare costs in America.
How can a country that allocates so much money toward healthcare have a population that continues to suffer from illness and disease at such a high rate? One of the main reasons is our way of eating, otherwise known as the Western Diet. This is an eating system saturated in processed, convenient, and cheap food that can be found in the majority of fast food restaurants and on most supermarket shelves. It is also the reason for the current obesity epidemic in this country. Americans are eating themselves into lethargy, illness, and early graves as a handful of powerful food companies use all means necessary to shove unhealthy, devoid-of-nutrient foods down our throats, unabated by the same government that spends absurd amounts of monies on healthcare. As these companies grow richer and richer, and as food becomes more of a mass-produced and cost-effective science experiment, we remain the mindlessly consuming victims.
Sadly, there is no massive food industry reform in sight, although a movement towards wholesome, organic food is well underway. The quality food costs more hence cheap and unhealthy food often takes precedence when one considers the aforementioned economic issues affecting a major portion of the population. So how do we move away from the bad food and towards a healthy lifestyle in today's tough times?
First, we have to make the effort to educate ourselves and our children regarding what exactly it is that we are eating every day. We need to know what is going into our bodies. Once the personal connection is made between the consumption of processed food and the subsequent health issues it creates, we can begin making the necessary choices to force the hand of the food industry. Food companies do not have to shower the nation with substandard products, but they will continue to do so unless the educated consumer stops choosing bad food. These huge corporations will do whatever it takes to create profit, and in doing so they will continue not to take our health into consideration.
As more people choose organic, unprocessed, and local farm foods over processed, unhealthy products, the food industry will have no choice but to provide us with good food. The demand for healthy food will grow and appropriate pricing will follow. Ideally, healthy goods will flip prices with bad food and become much more affordable, thus no longer being a financial burden for many citizens. The government can further this process by subsidizing quality food.
Second, the mindset of "if I want to be obese, sick, and unhealthy then it's my choice", should no longer be an option. Each individual's poor health choices impact the healthcare system and economy as a whole. It's not okay for someone to be nonchalant about their health when someone else's tax dollars are going towards their expensive medication. Aside from the overall economic strain that our unhealthy lifestyles are creating, there is an even greater impact in the home. Sickness puts a huge financial and emotional strain on the family. Do you want to be a burden to your kids at a time when they should be concentrating on enjoying their life and raising their children? I hope not.
The time is now to begin making the right choices with respect to what we eat. The obesity epidemic has overtaken America, creating an unhealthy, tired, and sick population. Obesity also continues to place a profound financial strain on the country, with already absurd healthcare costs predicted to rise even higher. Furthermore, we are stunting the ultimate potential of our children and sending them to illness and early graves by raising them on the Western diet. This needs to stop now. The onslaught of coronary heart disease, cancer, and type-2 diabetes can be halted through a return to quality, organic, unprocessed, and local foods. Choose, buy, and demand quality food. In the process you will better your health, your families' health, and collectively alter the bleak outlook of healthcare costs in America.
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