Health care starts with healthy habits
To the editor:
Recently, President Obama signed sweeping “health care” legislation that created a major rift over costs and other issues.
In 2009, we spent $2.5 trillion, or more than $8,000 per person, on medical care. That’s 17 percent of our GDP – more than any other country. And even these outrageous numbers don’t account for the economic toll of lost productivity, or the emotional toll of disease and death.
Ironically, these costs and the legislation have nothing to do with health care and everything to do with medical care, directed at alleviating chronic killer diseases that are largely self-inflicted through our flawed lifestyles. Actual health care is absolutely free! It involves exercise, rest, and abstinence from smoking, drugs, and meat and dairy products.
Yes, meat and dairy. According to the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 1.4 million U.S. deaths annually, or 58% of the total, are caused by heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, which have been linked conclusively with consumption of animal products.
We have no control over national medical care policy. But, each of us can exercise a great deal of control over our family’s health every time we visit our favorite supermarket.
Neil LaVince
Fort Myers Beach