Part 3 of 3
For context and for this entry to make sense, please see parts 1 & 2.
Where to Go From Here:
“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.”
Herophilus
If we want to have a fighting chance against the next deadly virus, we have to put an end to the Standard American Diet. Full stop. This is the largest and most effective lever we can pull to improve the health of our country. As citizens become smarter about their food they can tell the food corporations across the country that they no longer want crap. They can vote with their wallets for nutritious food. We can do things like tax full sugar soda, eliminate cartoon advertising for junk foods between the hours of 6pm to 10pm when they won’t be seen by kids. We can mandate that food packaging labels show ADDED SUGARS in a large and visible separate label. There’s no shortage of solutions.
Another highly effective option would be: In the next farm bill, we can end subsidies for sugar and corn that manipulate the market. Because corn ( used to create high fructose corn sugar) and sugar are so cheap, they end up in cheap junk foods. Subsidies can be re-routed and incentivize smaller operation farmers to produce other fresh produce ( and even larger subsidies provided for farmers to produce in Food Desert areas).
We also need to make junk foods harder to get, and not the default option. For example, nutritionally void food should be hard to physically reach( top or bottom shelf) and healthier options at eye-level in all grocery and convenience stores. This still allows for choice, but nudges the consumer to pick a more nutritious option. Grocery Stores can be a leader in ending SAD not only by shuffling their shelves, but by also putting fresh produce on endcaps and at differing spots in the store to encourage purchasing. Nutritious grub, in your face, everywhere.
We can reimagine how we get quality food access to our poorest citizens. Let’s work with non-profits for food delivery of discounted Fresh Foods. Think UberEats bringing the Farmers Market to our citizens who need it most. We can also help eliminate Food Deserts by creating grants for corner stores to be outfitted with small refrigeration units to carry more fresh produce and whole foods. We can incentivize contractors to install the units through tax credits. Corporations and citizens can help by making tax deductible donations to programs that create Mobile Grocery Stores that take fresh food to people without transportation or in more rural areas. While this sounds like a lot of Government spending, I promise that it’s a pittance compared to the 1/3rd of the Federal Budget going to Medicare handling the fallout from our food choices and lifestyles. If we make healthy food the default option, and make it easy, convenient, and affordable the impact would be nothing short of miraculous.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Ben Franklin
We need to get all of our kids active. Reinstitute regular body movement at a younger age. Physical Education EVERYDAY for grades 1-12. If kids are allowed to expend their overflowing energy and are made to feel that it’s a normal part of living, we can not only reverse the childhood obesity epidemic, but create a robust future for our children. Their active lifestyles would carry into adulthood and they’ll become healthy, productive citizens. The economic burden to manage their health will be a fraction of ours as they’ll be preventing the likelihood of chronic disease from the beginning. As odd as this sounds our National Security depends on it. Right now, 25% of all military applicants are disqualified for being overweight, and health related issues are the #1 reason for early discharges for active duty. If we create a generation of youngsters that are fit for duty and don’t require the insane levels of healthcare spending that we have now, we are securing their future.
Employers and health insurers must allow for gym memberships to be fully or partially reimbursed as part of their benefit plan. If a health insurer cares about their member’s health and really wants to keep their costs down they might realize the advantage of paying $50/month for a fitness plan vs. $40k/yr to manage diabetes? Employers should encourage and incentivize their workers to workout and stay active; let them have an hour and a shower for their lunch break where it makes sense to do so. Offices should encourage standing desks, and encourage movement. Connect workers with diet coaches or programs to keep them on track. Quit supplying donuts every damn Friday. Every company in the worlds says “our employees are our greatest asset?” Really? Then do your best to keep them healthy and productive and make it your PRIORITY.
Reimagine the “no skin in the game” healthcare model. With the Government and taxpayers of the future already financially burdened by the health of the country, it makes sense to make sure that the system works well. I liked the idea floated by Dr. Zubin Damania on changing Primary Care then funding Health Spending Accounts. My thoughts are slightly different but follow his thinking:
- Primary Care becomes a larger team approach where the sole focus in preventative. Going past just the 1 physical per year, the patient can pay an access-fee that allows for an “all you can treat” approach that has multiple visits during the year with their Primary Care team. If we stop these diseases up front, there’s no need for the bloated world of super-specialists that are “out of network” and 6-7 months before you get an appointment. They’ll still exist, but the need for their services and costs are greatly reduced.
- Everyone in the country gets a Health Care Spending account, with funds deposited by the State or Federal Government. The funds in the account have to be used on Health services; the deposited amount being $2,500 or so and more for families. After the funds in this account are spent, then a deductible kicks in. The deductible belongs to the patient with higher deductibles for the very wealthy. The deductible can be offset by Government or an Employer for lower income folks, but still allows for skin in the game for all patients.
- If both the Health Spending Account and Deductible are satisfied, only then a Catastrophic Medicare program would kick-in.
- NOTE: if all of this SOUNDS expensive, I can understand that. However, we sent stimulus checks to the vast majority of the country without batting an eye, and are about to do it again for pandemic relief. With the insane costs the taxpayer is already absorbing for the US’ poor health, shifting the focus to preventing these costs will actually be cheaper not only up front, but also in the long-run.
“It has to start somewhere. It has to start sometime. What better place than here? What better time than now?”
Rage Against The Machine
COVID-19 has offered more lessons than we can count. We can learn from this. The slow-moving disaster of our health trajectory CAN be reversed. We have every tool that we need at our disposable. Like most things in life, we have to first conquer ourselves. If we can make these changes, we will use Darwinism to our advantage to create a stronger, more robust population. Should we make these changes the easy and convenient for our citizens the adoption rate of healthy lifestyles will have a compounding effect for generations to come. If we do this, WHEN ( not if) the next pandemic comes we’ll be better positioned to fight the war. Our choices now can make the situation better or worse. For our future, we have an obligation to start making it better now.
Andrew L Hamilton 