American Values and Health Care Reform

With the national debate over health care reform careening between tired, well-rehearsed talking points, on the one hand, and deep-in-the-weeds debates over technical details, initiatives, and financing mechanisms, on the other, many people find themselves feeling frustrated and left out of the conversation. Yet most thoughtful Americans would have something meaningful to say about the values we should choose for the foundation of our system of health care.1 And by focusing on these fundamental considerations, perhaps we can deepen and broaden the discussion of values and public policy.
There is a broad range of values that we want our health care system to embody and pursue — not just liberty but also justice and fairness, responsibility, medical progress, privacy, and physician integrity, among others. These values have concrete, practical implications for our health care system. Two key implications concern money: Should every American be required to participate in health insurance? What are our obligations to ensure that the resources devoted to health care will be used wisely? The values of fairness and responsibility point to the need for a system of universal participation. Serious concern for the values of quality, efficiency, and health underscore the need to ensure good stewardship of our health care dollars.

Thomas H. Murray, Ph.D.  Posted by NEJM • December 23rd, 2009

Obesity and diabetes driving up health care costs

In the next quarter century, the number of people with diabetes in the United States will double to 44.1 million from 23.7 million, predict researchers at the University of Chicago. Spending on the disease will almost triple to $336 billion in the same time period.
The numbers have huge implications for overall health care costs and potential reform of the system, and for the population's quality of life. Individuals with the disease face years of drug treatment, frequent doctor visits, and a host of related, sometimes fatal, ailments.
The vast majority of diagnosed cases undoubtedly is related to the increased obesity rate in the nation. Obesity and inactivity are major causes of the disease.
No matter what decision Congress reaches on health care reform legislation, until more Americans take responsibility for their own health, costs will only go up.
Given the fact our behaviors are so often influenced by our environment, it's even more essential that individuals make a pointed effort to improve their well-being.
We need to think more creatively about ways to reduce the obesity rate and get people moving. More importantly, the push should come from all levels, from insurance companies to government to CEOs of companies to every one of us.

We all pay the price for obesity, and consequently diabetes, through taxpayer-funded Medicare and Medicaid and high insurance premiums.
There have been efforts at change. Some businesses provide healthy foods in cafeterias or have instituted incentives for weight loss and in the process have cut absenteeism. More builders are configuring communities to encourage walking and physical activity
While some argue adults should be allowed to engage in risky behavior, others say it's time for the federal government to step in. After all, one of the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use was the cigarette tax.

Unfortunately, obesity and diabetes now affect more children than ever. Schools don't always promote healthy lifestyles. Sodas and other high fructose and hydrogenated foods are easily accessible. And, in an attempt to focus on test scores, far too many have trimmed or eliminated physical fitness programs.
It's time to change the lifestyle landscape. It will take all of us to do it.
If you think that obesity is harmful because it mars your appearance; think again. The dangers of obesity go much beyond the surface level. Obesity does not only mean protruding tummy, heavy thighs and extra bulges. It also means many health problems.

Did you know that obesity contributes to diabetes? It’s a known fact that more obese a person is, more are his/her chances of suffering from type 2 diabetes. It is for several such medical reasons that you need to get rid of extra pounds. It is advisable to go in for natural weight loss ways to tackle the problem better.

LIFESTYLE CHANGE PREVENTS AND CURES T2DM

Without meaningful, evidence-based lifestyle change, there is virtually no hope of stemming the tidal wave of spending and adverse quality of life impacts that will come over the next two decades as a result of T2DM.
Dealing the onslaught of diabetes in the American population is one the nation’s most pressing health challenges. The growing prevalence of T2DM will stress the medical care system, increase spending and utilization intensity, and may well lead to an increase in heart disease rates. Lifestyle change must play a central role in T2DM prevention and treatment strategies
Successfully managing the diabetes crisis requires acknowledging that it is primarily (in the case of Type 2 DM), a disorder of lifestyle. Insulin resistance in aging adults stems in large part from physical inactivity and injudicious eating habits that lead to weight gain and disordered glucose metabolism.

An essential, but often overlooked, element in ameliorating the impact of T2DM on the US’s medical care system is engaging at-risk adults in the process of lifestyle change.
it is possible to normalize HBA1C levels in adults using evidence-based physical activity strategies and eating habits. Stabilizing this critical measure of long-term glucose control is an essential step in eventually helping people reduce the intensity of their medical care utilization, and, thus, lower the amount of money spent on their medical care needs.

Tackling a weight problem

A study has found that the linemen on a Division I college football teamwere the only ones who were obese, and they were more likely than the other players to have high blood pressure, pre-diabetes and other weight-related health problems.
Another recent study showed that retired NFL linemen have a greater risk of metabolic syndrome and are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than other retired players.


There is a trend in all levels of football, from high school to college to the NFL, for linemen to be bigger, but that may have an influence on their future health, says James Borchers of the division of sports medicine at Ohio State University. (File/AP)
"We need to counsel these players in weight management during their playing career and afterward to reduce their health risks," Borchers said.
www.htrnews.com

Take Control of Stress in Four Easy Steps

Stress can take a huge toll on a person's body over a long period of time. It does not matter how much or how little you are responsible for or even your age does not matter. Stress affects everyone and controlling stress is very important to a strong healthy life.
The result of stress is you seeing every day a different person in the mirror. You get to where you are so overwhelmed that your personality changes, the way you act changes, and you will become more easily upset. People that are stressed not only feel horrible they stop taking care of themselves like they should. Their eating habit is different and seems like they eat less and less the more stressed they become.
Stress also causes some people to eat more, smoke more, start drinking, or drink more, and they do not get enough sleep. Stress creates a cycle that just keeps going round and around.
Need something different?
If the answer is yes then take control of stress in four easy steps.
1. Keep your priorities straight. Make a list of daily tasks and make sure to put the most important first and so on down the list. By doing this you will be amazed at how much more gets done and how easy every day normal things just go right on by. Another thing by doing this is that all the important things are done and all that is left is the little task here or there.
2. Try to avoid Multitasking. Multitasking causes more stress than productivity. Do things one at a time, but make sure they are done in a timely manner. If something should take you an hour to do try to do it in 45 minutes. If you do this with every task not only are you more productive you are not as stressed out.
3. Make sure you are able to recognize when you are getting stressed. If you getting irritable then you should probably take a second calm down and try again. The quicker you can identify that you are becoming stressed the easy it is going to be to control it. This step is one of the most important because if you do not slow down and recognize you are becoming overwhelmed then the stress level will just keep rising.
4. Remember pauses have a huge impact on how you control your stress level. Some things to do while calming down: breathe for one. Take a couple of breathes and calm down. Take a short walk around the area you are in. Go get a drink and stretch. By doing these things you are allowing yourself time to think instead of over react to the situation.
Always remember to control stress and not to let it control you. By doing these simple little things your life will become more stable and you will become a better, happier person at the same time.

DIABETES AND OUR HEALTH CARE CRISIS

A new study published in the journal Diabetes Care this week concludes that the rate of diabetes will double in the next 25 years and the costs of dealing with this epidemic will triple over the same period.
Currently over 23.7 million Americans are living with diabetes and according to the Centers for Disease Control, diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death, killing over 63,000 people in 2002 and contributing to another 213,000 deaths.
According to the new study by researchers at the University of Chicago, over 44 million Americans will have diabetes in the year 2034 and the annual healthcare costs associated with the disease will balloon from the current $113 billion to $336 billion
The lead author of the study, Elbert Huang, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, cautioned that diabetes will overburden the healthcare system unless there is a change in our diet and exercise habits or new, more effective and less expensive ways to prevent and treat diabetes are developed.
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/

Smoking is a deadly habit.

All forms of tobacco are injurious to your health. You will be doing a great favor to you and your family by giving up this bad habit. Let us try to inspect the advantages of stopping smoking.

2. Save Dollars
You end up saving big time. Money spent on buying cigarettes can be better spent for your family.

3. Acceptance in the Society
Most of the people do not like smokers. They appear smelly often by way of bad breath and smoking smell on their clothes and hair which causes irritation among the other people. And then there is those yellow-brown teeth!

TEETH WHITENING –DOES IT WORK?

The long and the short of it is that teeth whitening works. Virtually everyone who opts for this cosmetic treatment will see moderate to substantial improvement in the brightness and whiteness of their smile. Yet only 15 percent of the population has tried the cosmetic procedure, and misinformation on the subject is rife. Teeth whitening is not a permanent solution, however, and requires maintenance or “touch-ups” for a prolonged effect.
For more information go to http://www.yourdentistryguide.com/teeth-whitening/

Any Comments? Come back again for More Benefits from Quiting the Habit

12 Ways to Never Get Diabetes

These simple steps may be all it takes to stay healthy and stop worrying about sugar problems. By the editors of Prevention.com
Diabetes-Proof Your Life

1. Nudge the Scale
2. Pick the Right Appetizer
3. Ditch Your Car
4. Be a Cereal Connoisseur
5. Indulge Your Coffee Cravings
6. Ditch the Drive-Thru
7. Go Veggie More Often
8. Spice Up Your Life
9. Unwind Every Day
10. Get a Perfect Night’s Rest
11. Keep Good Company
12. Have a Blood Test
·
Return here often for more information on this topic

Smoking is a deadly habit.

All forms of tobacco are injurious to your health. You will be doing a great favor to you and your family by giving up this bad habit. Let us try to inspect the advantages of stopping smoking.

1. Freedom from diseases

Cigarettes contain nicotine, tar and other harmful chemicals which badly affects your body. These chemicals and smoke can cause lung cancer, cardiac arrest and many other deadly diseases. There is absolutely nothing in the cigarette which is beneficial to the human body.

Any Comments? Come back again for More Benefits from Quiting the Habit