Sustainable Health Care?

When we think of a sustainable future, most of us tend to think of food, water and energy, as well as environmental concerns such as deforestation and loss of biodiversity. These are very valid concerns, but there are other aspects of a sustainable future that we need to also consider. One of those other aspects is building a sustainable health care system.

Persistent reports of prescription drug risks and FDA warnings that the medicine chest of drugs that have been long prescribed for children and adults have serious side effects – such as death – have become quite numerous in recent years. With increasing frequency, we hear news that even the most expensive drugs are laced with unregulated compounds that are “Made in China” or other third world countries with little oversight.

Add to these dangers of modern medicine the fast rising cost of health care, the decreasing frequency of health insurance being offered through the workplace, and the high likelihood of any government provided health care equaling rationed care at best, and we are entering a perfect storm that should gravely concern everyone.

The actual problem with our modern health care system is that we don't actually have a health care system. We have a disease care system. If you get sick, then our medical system swings into action with drug therapies and invasive surgeries to take care of your disease, and hopefully even cure it.

But drugs and surgeries are expensive and potentially dangerous. Wouldn't it be nice to actually take care of our health, so that we get sick less and less seriously? Wouldn't it be nice to have a health care system that actually takes care of our health, not just our diseases?

Well, we can wait around for the AMA or the Federal Government to move towards common sense, or we can take matters into our own hands. Fortunately, there are a growing number of researchers, medical doctors and other health professionals that are increasingly embracing holistic and natural health practices, aiming first to keep people healthy, then looking to natural healing alternatives before pushing drugs and surgery. This approach is known as Integrative Medicine and is now being taught at many schools such as the University of Arizona and Duke University.

These doctors are in no way rejecting science or modern medicine (though there are some charlatans and "new age" quacks who do). Modern medicine is making remarkable breakthroughs in the treatment of many diseases. Instead, these doctors and researchers are embracing the best of modern medicine, while first seeking to prevent disease (true health care, rather than disease care), then seeking to treat the whole person, rather than just the disease.

The difference in the traditional approach to medicine and the integrative approach is simply in their priorities. Integrative medicine, by making preventative health care a priority, then seeking less expensive alternatives before resorting to drug therapies and invasive surgeries, offers the best hope for a truly sustainable health care system.

Keeping the much more sustainable integrative approach in mind, I will be publishing a monthly newsletter on the Sustainable Future blog presenting information and resources on preventative health care. I am not a doctor or other medical professional, so I can not and will not be diagnosing specific health concerns. Instead, I will be providing general health tips, healthy recipes, health related news, book reviews and links to other resources, as well as offering encouragement to make positive changes in lifestyle for good health.

The name of this newsletter is Achieving Menos. Menos is an ancient Greek concept encompassing good health, physical & mental fitness, and vitality. More than simply good health and fitness, it is about life vibrancy. Menos is not just good health, but an energetic good health.

Look for the first issue of Achieving Menos in the next few days.

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