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Article:Promoting healthy lifestyles will cut care costs
Promoting healthy lifestyles will cut care costs
DAVID CRANE As concerns over the cost and affordability of health care grow, long-overdue attention is at last being paid to the determinants of health, how to be healthy rather than sick. Rather than having to fund costly pharmaceuticals and surgery to deal with chronic health problems, such as heart disease, emphysema, diabetes and ulcers, more attention ‹ but still far from enough ‹ is being paid to promoting healthy lifestyles that reduce the need. Indeed, this is likely to be the most effective way to curb rising health-care costs. The approach would also enable us to live more active and productive lives. Unfortunately, promoting healthier lifestyles can run into walls of resistance. The tobacco industry fiercely resisted curbs on smoking despite clear evidence linking smoking to lung cancer, heart disease and the risk of stroke. The auto industry resisted curbs on auto emissions and the oil industry on leaded gasoline and high-sulphur gasoline, despite the growing problems of disease from air pollution. Now, a new battle is being waged by the some in the food industry against tough new standards for a healthy diet being promoted by two agencies of the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the Food and Agricultural Organization. The two are co-operating on new global guidelines to reduce obesity, a major source of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The guidelines include strict limits on the amount of sugar and fat in a healthy diet as outlined in a new global code that the United States is resisting. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson said at a recent World Economic Forum session in Davos, Switzerland, that the United States wanted more time to study the guidelines. They have been under development since 1989, leading to charges that the powerful U.S. sugar lobby, which wants the new guidelines to contain a much higher provision for sugar than the proposals have set, is unduly influencing the U.S. stance. Thompson, for his part, did not deny that unhealthy diets are a source of major health problems in the United States. He pointed to many initatives to reduce obesity and acknowledged the United States could save billions of dollars in health-care costs, as well as having a healthier and more productive population, through improved diet and lifestyles. Indeed, Susan Blumenthal, assistant surgeon-general in the United States, said 70 per cent of diseases and 50 per cent of deaths in the country are due to lifestyle factors, such as smoking, poor diet, alcohol, obesity and unsafe sex. Alfred Sommer, dean of the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Medicine, said 100,000 Americans undergo stomach stapling each year and 15 million qualify for gastric barometric surgery. With globalization, obesity is becoming a global problem as Western lifestyles spread to more countries. "Other countries are starting to think like us, eat like us and now die like us," Dean Ornish, president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, said at the forum. He is working with PepsiCo Inc. and McDonald's Corp. to produce healthier products. But the spread of McDonald's shows what health officials are up against. Between 1987 and 2002, according to Food and Agricultural Organization estimates, the number of worldwide McDonald's outlets increased to 31,108 in 2002 from 9,911 in 1987. China had 546 outlets at the end of 2002, up from a mere three in 1987. In Japan, the number increased to 3,891 from 604; in Latin America, to 887 from 99; and in South Korea, to 357 from zero. Kiyoshi Kurokawa, president of Japan's Science Council, said at the forum that "in Japan 50 years ago, people were dying of starvation; now we have seen a 100-fold increase in diabetes." Janet Voute, chief executive officer of the World Heart Federation, said heart disease is the Number 1 killer worldwide and obesity has become a major factor. One-fifth of all children in Beijing are obese, she claimed. Many different groups will have to collaborate to reverse the dangerous growth in the global problem of obesity. Governments will need to adopt smart regulatory requirements as well as promote healthy eating and exercise. Food companies and fast-food chains will have to come up with healthier products. Parents will have to educate their children in healthy eating and set an example. Companies will have to pay more attention to employee health. Doctors will have to give patients better advice. If we are to have healthy populations and curb rising health-care costs, however, we have no alternative. -- Diva ****** There is no substitute for the right food |
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Article:Promoting healthy lifestyles will cut care costs
"Ignoramus17685" wrote in message ... but it will increase social security costs and the cost of providing other services (medical etc) to *people* who live a long time instead of promptly dying around retirement time. Without considering it, it is a flawed calculation. i Have they checked your blood for chunks of ice floating in it? (That's a very cold blooded assessment.) Do you plan on "promptly dying" at that time? These are real *people* being discussed and not just statistics. There is no reason to think that they don't deserve to live long and healthy lives just like you do and I do. There are more important things in life than just money, even for the government. I'd rather see my tax dollars spent on keeping someone's great grandma healthy than bombing the sh!t out of some village on the other side of the world. If they'd only stay on their side of the world ;-) Tonia |
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Article:Promoting healthy lifestyles will cut care costs
Ignoramus17685 wrote in
: but it will increase social security costs and the cost of providing other services (medical etc) to people who live a long time instead of promptly dying around retirement time. Without considering it, it is a flawed calculation. Another misconception is that servicemen have it *lucky* because they can retire at full pension after 20 years. Fact is, those 20 years take quite a toll and most of them don't live to collect that money nearly as long as their civilian counterparts. Yes, I'm married to a retired Vet. -- Walking on . . . Laurie in Maine 207/110 60 inches of attitude! Start: 2/02 Maintained since 2/03 |
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Article:Promoting healthy lifestyles will cut care costs
Ignoramus17685 wrote in news:izydnRY-
: I did not know that life expectancy of retired military is lower... I thought that they were healthy, strong people. There's something about bullets zinging by your ears that just takes a lot out of a person. -- Walking on . . . Laurie in Maine 207/110 60 inches of attitude! Start: 2/02 Maintained since 2/03 |
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Article:Promoting healthy lifestyles will cut care costs
"SnugBear" wrote in message .17... Ignoramus17685 wrote in news:izydnRY- : I did not know that life expectancy of retired military is lower... I thought that they were healthy, strong people. There's something about bullets zinging by your ears that just takes a lot out of a person. Yep. But it also depends upon the strength of the person. My dad is a Veteran of WWII (God bless them!!) He fought in the South Seas (Guam and the Philiphines). He even lied about his age and joined the navy when he was 16 to go and fight. He served two terms in the navy. This year he turns 83. He's climbed mountains, including Mt. Shasta and Mt. Ranier (maybe that's where I get it from), raised us three kids, as well as over a dozen foster kids with my Mom (RIP), and has been married to two wonderful women (my stepmom rules!), and never stops. He worked for United Airlines for over 35 years (where I now work) and travels the world. This year, though, he had to have cataract surgery (which went well) and didn't get to take the vacation to Malta, Majorca and Tunisia he expected to (poor baby). He also told me about a new workout class he's taking. It's two hours three times a week. The instructor (he says she's pretty tough) has the class stretching and doing lots of aerobic movements. He's always been in great shapes, as well as my stepmom. Even though he's slower than he was, he still has the flighting Hughes spirit he's always had. We Hughes' don't give up...ever... My brother was in the Army for two terms. He was in a car accident in Germany. A Garman drunk driver hit the truck he was in. He was thrown and had major damage to his head and in right eye. He has had numerous surgeries and now works in the defense field as an analyst. My brother was in Desert Storm in Germany as an analyst. My *little* brother (who's 6'4") is the smartest person I know, seriously. But don't tell him that, I don't want him to rule it over me. : ) My dad....he never talked about the war until just a few years ago. He saw a a lot of action, but I'm damned proud of him. I'm proud of anyone who takes their life in their hands for such a righteous cause. He has his faults, but deep down is a good heart. Martha sorry for rambling.... |
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Article:Promoting healthy lifestyles will cut care costs
"MH" wrote
Yep. But it also depends upon the strength of the person. My dad is a Veteran of WWII (God bless them!!) He fought in the South Seas (Guam and the Philiphines). He even lied about his age and joined the navy when he was 16 to go and fight. He served two terms in the navy. This year he turns 83. He's climbed mountains, including Mt. Shasta and Mt. Ranier (maybe that's where I get it from), raised us three kids, as well as over a dozen foster kids with my Mom (RIP), and has been married to two wonderful women (my stepmom rules!), and never stops. Martha, give your dad a hug from me! -- Walking on . . . Laurie in Maine 207/110 60 inches of attitude! Start: 2/02 Maintained since 2/03 |
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Article:Promoting healthy lifestyles will cut care costs
Ignoramus20725 wrote
SnugBear wrote: Ignoramus17685 wrote in news:izydnRY- : I did not know that life expectancy of retired military is lower... I thought that they were healthy, strong people. There's something about bullets zinging by your ears that just takes a lot out of a person. That's interesting. My grandfather fought in WWII from 1941 until 1945, as a small artillery unit commander. In relation to diet, in 1942, for 8 months, he ate nothing but pea soup when he was held in reserve. Anyway, the war definitely took its toll on him, and he had some heart issues and diet at 78 from some sort of dementia. He was drafted in 1939 and discharged in 1946. He was not a professional miiltary though and so spent only 7 years in the military. My husband tells me the state of Pennsylvania did a longevity study on veterans of WWI & WWII and compared actual combat survivors to soldiers serving in support positions. The latter had a 5 year reduction in life expectancy while the former could expect to lose 10 years. -- Walking on . . . Laurie in Maine 207/110 60 inches of attitude! Start: 2/02 Maintained since 2/03 |
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Article:Promoting healthy lifestyles will cut care costs
"SnugBear" wrote in message .17... Ignoramus20725 wrote SnugBear wrote: Ignoramus17685 wrote in news:izydnRY- : I did not know that life expectancy of retired military is lower... I thought that they were healthy, strong people. There's something about bullets zinging by your ears that just takes a lot out of a person. That's interesting. My grandfather fought in WWII from 1941 until 1945, as a small artillery unit commander. In relation to diet, in 1942, for 8 months, he ate nothing but pea soup when he was held in reserve. Anyway, the war definitely took its toll on him, and he had some heart issues and diet at 78 from some sort of dementia. He was drafted in 1939 and discharged in 1946. He was not a professional miiltary though and so spent only 7 years in the military. My husband tells me the state of Pennsylvania did a longevity study on veterans of WWI & WWII and compared actual combat survivors to soldiers serving in support positions. The latter had a 5 year reduction in life expectancy while the former could expect to lose 10 years. -- Walking on . . . Laurie in Maine 207/110 60 inches of attitude! Start: 2/02 Maintained since 2/03 This is interesting. My father and three of his brothers served in WWII. The three who were in combat died before age 60 (only one was an accidental death). My father who stayed in the states training troops is still living. He will be 86 next month. I also have two uncles who saw combat in the Korean conflict. One died at age 60. The other has battled health problems from a leg injury. They finally had to amputate the leg 10 years ago. I also worry about a nephew and SIL who were in the Gulf War. I wonder if they'll suffer any health problems? Beverly |
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Article:Promoting healthy lifestyles will cut care costs
"SnugBear" wrote in message . 17... "MH" wrote Yep. But it also depends upon the strength of the person. My dad is a Veteran of WWII (God bless them!!) He fought in the South Seas (Guam and the Philiphines). He even lied about his age and joined the navy when he was 16 to go and fight. He served two terms in the navy. This year he turns 83. He's climbed mountains, including Mt. Shasta and Mt. Ranier (maybe that's where I get it from), raised us three kids, as well as over a dozen foster kids with my Mom (RIP), and has been married to two wonderful women (my stepmom rules!), and never stops. Martha, give your dad a hug from me! Thanks, Laurie! : D Martha |
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