ELECTION FEVER - Is It Terminal? I don't know how often the U.S. and Canada have run parallel elections in the past, but here we are into two federal elections and the slings and barbs are flying east and west across the continent. 15 PERCENT OF AMERICANS NOT COVERED BY HEALTH CARE It seems that one of the most important issues on both sides of the border is Health Care. There are dichotomies and gaps everywhere, and some points that seem inexplicable. In the U.S., out of 240,000,000 people, 40 million are not covered by health care. I spoke with one person on my forum today who says that he opted out of the U.S. system because he did not need it. Why is it being pushed on everyone. Here in Canada, it's like a sacred cow. We wouldn't dare get rid of the old beast...been here since 1965, and we're not about to let go in favor of something different or better. Some people feel it's sucking the lifeblood of the country, but try to get out of it and you could almost end up in jail. I see the health care system in both countries producing a completely unexpected two-tier system, separte from the one that the government of the day fears. Neither country wants to include alternative health care, medicines and remedies in the mainstream system...which means that millions are paying into the system and paying extra to get the care that they really want. Personally, my family pays for health care, and the only usage of that highly touted failsafe method has been for two chiropractor visits in the last two years. We pride ourselves in treating ourselves with herbs and alternative means. We take lots of nutrients that keep us out of doctors offices, but, by the same token cost us lots of money (well spent, I might add....the last time I sat in a doctor's office for an appointment, I waited over an hour, and thereby remembered another reason why I like to take care of myself.) Because we believe in taking matters into our own hands and not leaving important decisions up to medical doctors, we are controlling our own destinies...which is a good feeling in itself. I think it's far better to do research on an acute malady and act on that, than feel sick, go to a doctor, get a prescription, take the prescription and never know what caused the illness or even care. And then it happens again...and again... SOCIETY LIVING LONGER, AS A RULE The dichotomy is that statistics show that people are living to ripe old ages and are feeling better in general. The life expectancy for newborns today will be 77.1 years in the U.S. and the rate of death by AIDS, and other modern diseases has dipped considerably. However, heart disease, Stroke and cancer deaths are still at the top, but have also decreased. Why are we always hearing about younger and younger people dying from cancer with these optimistic statistics? Childhood cancer was unheard of 50 years ago, and today the children's hospitals are full of youngsters with that disease. TEEN SMOKING WAY UP! Teenagers are smoking more today than every before...but their stats won't be important until they start developing cancer around the age of 30 or 40. They are more into drinking and illicit drugs than we thought possible, given the proof that these substances kill. The prognosis for many young people doesn't look good, but if they read that all people are living much longer, they will believe that smoking, drinking and using drugs do not shorten life. Where's the balance here? OBESITY HAS INCREASED BY 5.2% SINCE '92 The big scary disease that affects more people than anything else today, though, is obesity. That has definitely increased over the years and there is no end in sight. Eight years ago, statistics showed that 12.7 percent of Americans (and most likely, Canadians as well) were at least 30lbs. overweight, and by the end of last year, that figure had gone up by a whopping 5.2 percent. HEALTH COP OUT Is the obese generation the baby boomer generation that had access to everything healthy and unhealthy and opted for the unhealthy? Seems to make sense when we see the reports come out. But that means that Baby Boomer children are caught in the same pattern. What will it take to get people to sit up and take notice and go beyond the pale? A gentle boost or a kick in the rear end should be the order of the day, but that doesn't seem to be happening. Boomers were given to believe by their parents (I,m assuming, but I'm a boomer too) that nothing we eat makes a difference in our bodily make-up. We are our genes, and might as well get used to it! My husband grew up this way, and somewhere along the line, made the deduction that he might as well accept his body the way it is, rather than working at making it healthier...what a crock...what a cop out! And how untrue...he's now struggling with Type II Diabetes as a result of obesity...because he didn't catch on early enough that there IS a better way. Couch potatoes, don't unite! Get off those couches, sofas and divans and start moving. Save yourselves, and you won't need health care or doctors anymore. Sure, if you fall and break your leg while you're running or rollerblading, a doctor will be needed. There's no doubt that we will always need medical professionals...but let's get going and make them obsolete in our normal day-to-day and month-to-month lives. There's so much more out there than work and the comfy sofa at home! Back to the Writing Index