The health care debate, obesity and YOU!

I’ve been thinking a lot about our legacy lately.

I find one of the least attractive legacies of our generation to be that of obesity, both in ourselves and our children.

I have had an amazing eye- opening experience in the past six months, when confronted with how toxic the well-accepted, standard American diet can be.

I learned so much by simply observing the overwhelming amount of sweets (also known as sugar, high fructose corn syrup,  aspartame, splenda, honey, cane sugar, etc.) there is in our diet.  It is turning our bodies into toxic waste dumps!  I believe the only healthy sweetener is the herb stevia.

I now see that if each of us would do the same simple experiment of cutting most sweets from our diet, we would see a dramatic reduction in illnesses and deaths caused by the three biggest killers: cancer, obesity and diabetes.

As we confront the issue of health care reform together, the question of what each of us is willing to do about the obesity epidemic should come front and center.  We now spend at least $147 billion every year on obesity-related ailments and conditions!

If we are at all concerned about reducing health care costs, we need to get serious about taking better care of ourselves!  There is an undeniable link between rising rates of obesity and rising medical spending and early death.

I personally wish everyone who feels so passionately about reducing health care costs would quit pointing their finger at government or food manufacturers or anyone else for one moment, and turn that finger around and take a good hard look at themselves and what they put in their mouths everyday.

If this country really wants to reduce health care costs, we must get serious about taking better care of ourselves!  I know taking full responsibility is so out of fashion these days, but we could all benefit from considering how we each contribute personally to the health care problems in this country.

Personal observation and discipline are required to change your health and your own quality of life.  Nobody else can do this for you.

Tagged as: obesity and health care costs, reducing health care costs, reducing obesity in America, self-care improves health care, taking personal responsibility, too much sugar