Healthcare or Sick Care?
I know a family whose six children have never had to see a doctor for an illness. They've had a few stitches and broken bones among them, but never a "sick" visit. A growing body of evidence suggests that it's possible to provide our bodies with the nutrients, hydration and exercise we need to maintain health. Some would add chiropractic to this list, in order to keep spinal alignment allowing for maximal neural communication. Regardless of which of these components you wish to include, sadly the majority of Americans don't pursue the path of optimal health.
Perhaps that's why Americans do not have healthcare. We have sick care. The current American healthcare system has nothing to do with maintaining health but everything to do with healing sickness. We seek medical attention to alleviate disease symptoms.
Take a look at these statistics:
● 75 percent of all healthcare dollars are spent on patients with one or more chronic conditions, many of which can be prevented, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, lung disease, high blood pressure and cancer. (Source: Health Affairs)
● The share of the economy devoted to healthcare has increased from 7.2 percent in 1970 to 17.9 percent in 2009 and 2010. (Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012)
● The U.S. spends substantially more on healthcare than other developed countries. As of 2009, health spending in the U.S. was about 90 percent higher than in many other industrialized countries. The most likely causes are higher prices, more readily accessible technology and greater obesity. (Source: Kaiser Family Foundation, May 2012)
How different would our healthcare picture look if we changed our mindset, actively seeking out healthcare instead of sick care?