Week 1: a general overview
By Clara and Justin Hamel
Health is a big business in our country. Individually and nationally we spend copious amounts of money on health insurance, doctor visits, medications, procedures, supplements, diets and fitness programs. In fact, it is one of the largest expenditures in our economy. So, with all of the attention, money and resources dedicated to health, are we actually becoming healthier?
Unfortunately, when we look at the numbers, they tell a troubling story. The U.S. is spending more on healthcare than ever before, but that investment is not paying off. The growing gap between what we spend and the health we achieve raises the question of whether continuing to spend more within the same system will ever produce a different result. To go even further, it appears to be clear evidence that our current model for health is broken.
It is easy to dismiss that statement as the subjective opinion of an alternative or integrative healthcare provider. Yet, when we step away from opinion and look objectively at the state of health in the United States, the evidence speaks volumes.
The United States spends approximately $14,880 per person on healthcare each year. That is more than any other country in the world. It is roughly 40% more than the next highest spending country, and about two and a half times the average of other developed nations. With that cost, it is reasonable to expect U.S. citizens to be amongst the healthiest in the world.
Unfortunately, the statistics tell a very different story.
More than 40% of American adults are living with obesity, and an additional 30% fall into the category of overweight. To put this into perspective, that means only 3 out of 10 adults in the U.S. are at an optimal weight for health. Add to this the fact that over 30% of adults deal with high blood pressure, more than 40 million take cholesterol lowering medications and an estimated 36 million have type 2 diabetes. If these statistics aren’t alarming you, consider that we have nearly double the average obesity rate of other developed nations, 30-40% higher rates of type 2 diabetes and significantly higher rates of cancer than other developed nations. This last statistic is slightly offset by the fact that our survival rate of cancer is higher, but this again points to the fact that we are well equipped to treat and not to prevent disease.
This is by no means an attack on the medical system as a whole. Physicians, nurses, medications, hospitals, surgical procedures and advances in medical technology do an amazing job of saving lives, treating disease, managing serious conditions, and helping us survive illnesses and injuries that would have been devastating just a few generations ago. Modern medicine is remarkable at many things, and that should not be discounted.
This is a statement about something much more complex. It is about the intersection of how we define healthcare, consumerism, accessibility and lifestyle. It is about a culture that often makes unhealthy choices inexpensive, convenient and readily available, while making healthier choices more difficult. It is about access to care, but also about what kind of care is prioritized. It is about a healthcare system that has become exceptionally good at treating disease, while often devoting far fewer resources to helping people build and maintain health before disease develops, and it is about our own accountability for the choices we make individually that affect our health. When we combine these factors, we get a clearer view of the whole picture. Right now, that picture is bleak — but it does not have to remain that way.
Next week, we will begin looking at what needs to change, both within our healthcare system and within our own lives, to begin creating a healthier future.
(For additional information or to view these statistics, please visit Peterson-KFF health tracker and healthsystemtracker.org.)
*Dr. Justin Hamel and Clara Hamel have a combined over 30 years of experience in health fields. Reach them at 1° Performance & Longevity, located at 46 N. Central Park Plz., Suite 101, in Jacksonville, on Facebook or by phone at 217-243-6358.
