US Healthcare reform

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What seems particularly neglected in this discussion is that a healthy nation is physically strong and capable. No one considers it outrageous that huge amounts of money are put into the military for thr defense of the country. A solid well working health system is an integral part of national defense. There are potential biological weapons that can rapidly make a nation helpless and without the health infrastructure that daily insures all citizens are in good condition and remain so the country is totally vulnerable to attack.
It should not be in the hands of inefficient greedy profit making corporations to see to this very vital need.

If more people (especially those who claim to be Christians) lived by the words of Jesus, such government mandates would not be necessary. Unfortunately, most people are selfish, greedy bastards.

Remember, my remark was prompted by Ruveyn's answer to number5's question "When one is sick and broke, the decision is already made for him. Why kick a man when he's down?"

Ruveyn's answer? "Why help him up at your expense?"

What Sand said is true. We are only as strong as our weakest link and the way we treat our disadvataged is a clear reflection of our strength as a nation. I think the world was in complete shock when they saw how we handled Katrina and that's really just the tip of the iceberg. If we continue to neglect the poor and the sick, our country will suffer greatly. I don't want to live in a country that resembles Detroit with a few places like Hollywood and the Hamptons.

http://factcheck.org/

My solution would have to deal with education, diet, and a hoilistic/preventative approach to health care.

Educate people on what goes into a healthy diet. Educate people about preventive care measures.

Give tax incentives for taking Tai Chi/Qi Gong or other martial arts or even yoga classes. Better yet, teach martial arts in schools and institute competitions as an alternative to traditional/team sports. Everyone benefits from a more holistic approach that could come through these arts. You don't need to have good hand-eye coordination, hands, or eyes to be able to practice yoga or tai chi.

Preventative and holistic health needs to be implemented on a larger scale. Unfortunately, the FDA and the US government are run by our economy, so they are not likely to adopt such programs. The FDA is really more of a balancing act...it's up to them to decide what is safe enough to be profitable. Take away the profit with perfectly safe, natural, and holistic practices and lifestyles. What are you left with? Economic supernova.

If a majority of people started to realize all of the garbage they consume on a daily basis, every company that produces that processed garbage would go under. If people adopted diets that could pretty effectively eliminate and prevent heart disease and cancer, the health care system would be left to treat infectious diseases and broken bones.

The FDA, our health care, our insurance companies, and our government are in the business of keeping people just sick enough to turn a profit and/or keep the economy afloat.

Everything we need is already in our hands, we just need to know where to look and how to view it. We have to break away from greed and the desire for wealth to find it, because there is no money in the natural world. Unfortunately, this type of change will only ever see fruition on an individual level.

That's another part of the issue: instant gratification. Too often, people want to see immediate results, when the best solutions are often the ones that take time to set in.

Better education about holistic diets- not diets that avoid one thing or glorify another- is necessary. All it takes is a few people to have success, then to have a desire to help others.

I realize that people are lazy, stubborn pigs. Change in small increments will be effective in reversing that. We surely didn't get this way overnight.

I totally agree that our lifestyle choices have a big, if not the biggest impact on our health. Sadly, I think the masses would riot if Mickey D's closed down. Some kind of tax credit for organic foods and/or excercise programs is not a bad idea though.

What constitutes "healthy eating" has changed over the years... in 1970, Shredded Wheat was considered the least healthful of all cereals. Now we know differently. What we promote today may turn out to be unhealthy tomorrow.

I think a trend towards natural food would be a good start, if that's even possible anymore. I think my parents used to drink buttermilk and I'll bet even that was healthier than the chemical garbage in our food today. It all sounds good on paper, but I'll never stop lovin' the casket. A sack o' 10 always makes me celebrate .

Fish used to be healthy, but now with the mercury...
I was only allowed to eat it once a month during my last pregnancy. This kind of goes along with my comment on how I don't even know if we can get back to natural foods.