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On Monday, The Wall Street Journal carried a story about public health, co-authored by Deepak Chopra, Dean Ornish, Rustum Roy and Andrew Weil. This U.S. quartet of complementary and alternative health superstars makes the thought-provoking point that, contrary to often-quoted disease statistics, the true number 1 and 2 public-health enemies are diet and lifestyle. Such alterable factors, within the grasp of every citizen, are the biggest roadblock to universal health care.
Heart disease, diabetes, prostate and breast cancer and obesity account for 75% of health-care costs. These are not the causes of illness, however, merely the effects. In each case when patients take matters into their own hands and improve nutritional and lifestyle choices, the condition is largely manageable, if not preventable. There is a synergistic benefit, the authors argue: reducing the risk factors for any one of these diseases easily snowballs into major prevention for all.
The antidote to what ails the North American public, and by extension universal health care, isn’t the need for more tests and technology. The cure is an integrated, holistic and ultimately low-cost approach to wellness, including sound nutrition, smoking cessation, stress reduction and exercise.
As the authors conclude, these are all choices that will help us all live longer and, more importantly, live better.
Read Alternative Medicine Is Mainstream
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