A report published by the Milken Institute titled “The Role of Medical Research and Prevention” published nearly a decade ago bemoaned the narrow focus surrounding our nation’s discussion of health reform at the time, limited primarily to political questions regarding insurance rather than a broader discussion that included “… the alteration of the destructive lifestyles that contribute to so much disease.”
In almost 10 years, little of the discussion has changed.
Despite extensive research and data that point clearly to links between lifestyle and devastating chronic diseases and conditions facing the American population today — such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure — as a country, we have not yet been successful in altering the discussion or the behavior.
Why? As is often true, we have not addressed the root cause. Take a look at just two data points from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
• More than one in three adults (about 92.1 million) have at least one type of cardiovascular disease.
• About 90% of Americans aged 2 years or older consume too much sodium, which can increase their risk of high blood pressure.
Would a majority of parents, with eyes wide open, choose to feed their children food that harms rather than nourishes them? Do they know — really know — what choices they are making to contribute to their own cardiovascular disease? The root cause? We have yet to educate the population effectively — not by preaching but by putting tools in their hands to empower them to make healthier lifestyle choices during their everyday activities. Technology gives us the power to do so, and all of us in leadership positions have a moral obligation to play a part in doing so.
Date: July 12, 2018
Source: Forbes