United States Ranks 41st in Life Expectancy, Are YOU Surprised?
Did you see the news that the United States ranks 41 in life expectancy? The article stated that one major reason we are 41st is that so many Americans lack health insurance. Can a...

Did you see the news that the United States ranks 41 in life expectancy? The article stated that one major reason we are 41st is that so many Americans lack health insurance. Can anyone really believe that? This is a knee jerk reaction and honestly sounds much more like a political statement from someone who thinks the answer is nationalized health care.

I believe that the reason we are 41st is that a very big portion of our population eats absolute garbage and does not get exercise. We also stress ourselves out with overflowing schedules and are far behind the rest of the world when it comes to relaxation and making a mind and body connection.

The problem with our health care system is not lack of access to it; it is that we go about health care the wrong way. We concentrate too heavily on helping people live with or battle disease once they have it and forget all about preventing it in the first place. This type of health care can be provided to everyone on a silver platter and it still is not going to help our ranking any. As long as people take no responsibility for their own health then we will continue to get more sick, more obese, more depressed, etc.

I don’t know about you, but I have people in my life who eat the worst possible diet and then complain to me about their cholesterol medication being expensive or not working or their diabetes getting worse. I know people who need knees replaced but the doctors won’t do it until they lose weight. Is this the fault of the doctor, the health care system? I feel sure that you know people like this as well. Does it frustrate you or do you allow them to convince you that it is not their fault? They want the doctors to fix them, they want the drugs to fix them, and they want the government to fix them. The one person they never mention when they are complaining is himself or herself.

The sad fact of the matter is that a huge percentage of illness and disease can be prevented. Heart disease is the number one killer in this country, heart disease! Don’t we all know by now that lack of exercise combined with a diet that is high in fat and cholesterol causes heart disease as does smoking? But we would rather blame the government or McDonalds or the cigarette manufacturers than put the blame where it belongs, with ourselves.

Some employers have begun to make demands on their employees to take responsibility for their health or else pay more for health insurance and I think that is great. Some insurance companies are doing the same thing and it is only fair. Anyone can get sick but if someone eats healthy, doesn’t smoke and exercises, that person should not have to carry the financial burden of the people who refuse to take preventive measures.

The article also states that it is shocking that the richest country in the world is ranked so low. You’ve got to be kidding me. It does not take money to eat real food versus prepackaged over-processed food. It does not take money to go out for a walk. Some very poor countries are beating us. But they eat fresh, real food that they often grow themselves and/or animals raised without the drugs we fill ours with in this country; plus they are very active people. Money is not the answer! For way too many, being in the richest country seems to make you fat and lazy.