Foolish Cat May 14th, 2008

Generally speaking, I’m skeptical of most scientific studies. I’ve found that if you drill down deeply enough, you can usually find a source that has a vested interest in the outcome of the study. A study that says eating more tuna lowers cholesterol - funding by Bumble Bee. A study linking eating chocolate and large penises - funding by Nestle. Whatever. Some surely have merit, but many have so many flaws in the way they were conducted that they’re complete crap. Either way, we usually believe the studies that support things we’re already doing or that support our beliefs.

Here’s a study I found shocking: 51% of all Americans are on some kind of chronic prescription medicine. Not medicine - prescription medicine. 51%. The study was made by Medco Health Solutions, Inc - basically a huge legal drug dealer - but I tend to believe it because it makes no claims on what the numbers mean - it simply states the number. Do with it what you will (I guess there motive could be to convince people “see, everyone else is doing it”. After all, they are drug dealers).

But if you just look at the number, you might say, ‘yeah, well, a lot of people are sick. That’s life.’ Yes it is. But more than half of the country doesn’t have to be sick - that’s the point. The number of people on drugs isn’t high because of lupus or leukemia or Alzheimer’s, or a hundred other mostly unpreventable diseases; the number is high because people aren’t taking care of themselves. Yes, of course, there are people who have those diseases, and thank God for the medications to ease their symptoms, improve their quality of life and, in many cases, cure them. That’s the purpose of medicine.

Here’s what medicine should not be used for: as a replacement for living a healthy life. And if you look at what drugs most people are being prescribed, that’s exactly what it’s doing. High blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, respiratory problems, gastrointestinal problems, and, of course, depression. This is the sickness of America.

Now, I know that plenty of people who eat right, exercise, and try to alleviate stress in their lives, still are unfortunate enough to acquire one or more of these conditions; but for the Grace of God I am not one of them. And I also know that genetics often plays a role (one cholesterol drug commercial basically says “it doesn’t matter what you eat, your cholesterol is high because of Aunt Edna or Uncle Steve), but genetics probably plays a part in everything we do - it still won’t get you out of a speeding ticket. Your body, your responsibility. The fact is, generally speaking, people eat too much, move too little, and spend too much time indulging in behaviors that are not in balance with the human body. This includes smoking, drinking, worrying, Twinkies, etc. Eventually your body retaliates.

And certainly doctors carry a lot of blame for the recklessness with which prescriptions are written. It’s shameful. But in their defense, they get pressure from their patients to alleviate symptoms; and patients are very similar to other types of customers in that if they aren’t getting what they want they will go somewhere else.

But let’s be honest, we all know who the real culprit is for this debacle. Like anything else, if you want to know who is at the top of the chain - you follow the money.

Pharmaceutical companies need sickness to thrive. It’s not conspiracy theory, it’s fact. Chronic disease - not cure - is the way to billions annually. Healthy living is antithetical to a drug company’s profits. It isn’t their fault, necessarily, that people don’t take care of themselves - the way many claim that tobacco companies are directly responsible for people choosing to smoke - but they do have a vested interest in people not making better lifestyle decisions. And with the profits come more ads, more sales calls to doctors, and more people hooked. And don’t get me started on the kids. 1 in 4 kids on prescription drugs. It’s despicable.

So take a walk, eat an apple, meditate, or make a change that you should have made long ago.

Find your way.

Blunder.