“Without enough focus on diet and exercise and too much focus on prescription drugs we don’t have a healthcare system; we have disease management. The U.S. spends more on healthcare per capita than any other country, yet we’re ranked 37th in terms of health” ~ Dr. Andrew Weil
After seeing Dr. Andrew Weil present this week on topics such as our current healthcare system, healthy aging in America and what is needed to reverse much of the damage done, I decided to condense the 2 1/2 hour talk here. Here’s what Weil suggests are the societal, medical and individual approaches needed to shift from disease management to disease prevention and health promotion in the U.S.:
What can society do?
- Make better food choices cheaper and easier. The unhealthiest foods are the cheapest while fresh fruits and vegetables are the most expensive. Government subsidies are skewed and need to shift from corn and soy to fruits and vegetables. Weil suggests making fruits and vegetables more accessible in underprivileged neighborhoods and free to all school children.
- Make better health choices fun. In Sweden, a metro station staircase was turned into a musical piano (think Tom Hanks in “Big”) to encourage people to Continue reading
