Last Monday I published what I feared was a relatively unfocused column, touching on medical insurance, health care in Massachusetts, obesity and swimming … and tried to wrap it all up in the mantle of “personal responsibility.” I wasn’t especially proud of the organization of the whole, but I was proud of some of the ideas.
And I was happy to see that you liked them, too. The quantity and quality of your feedback was impressive. Below are some of the most notable responses.
“Your comments on the current Health Care bill are right on!
“It totally ignores actions that could be taken to save billions–tort reform, buying insurance across state lines, health savings accounts–actions that would cost little or nothing, yet would reduce costs significantly.
“The Wall Street Journal says this is the worst piece of legislation they have ever seen. Nothing in the bill reduces costs, but it does create an enormous new set of government boards and bureaus, leading eventually to shortages and rationing. Obviously, the Democrats in charge want to force a single payer system onto us, and the end game will be socialized medicine on the Canadian and British models.
“Down here in Austin, the Whole Foods CEO, John Mackey, wrote an op-ed for the WSJ, outlining a number of steps they had taken to improve their employees’ choices for health care. The liberals went ballistic, and tried to implement a boycott, which fizzled. You might want to look at the article, and the follow-on interview–I think you can find some useful ideas that you might be able to use for your people.
“Keep up the good work. We need more people speaking up against the stream of really bad and harmful ideas coming out of Washington.”
L.W.
Austin, Texas
[Note: I have previously commented favorably on both John Mackey's achievements and his stance on insurance.]
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“I feel a strong need to respond to your support of Medifast (MED) in connection with improving the health of our nation. I am a licensed naturopathic doctor and therefore make it my business to find ways to TRULY help people live healthier lives. I think the fundamental issue is that we as a nation have lost the habit of eating a “whole foods diet” that is plentiful in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Then to add insult to injury, we drive around in our metal boxes every day and only a small fraction of us take the time to stop at the gym for some exercise. It is no wonder that most patients when they first meet with me simply want an “herb or supplement” to help them with whatever is ailing them … a quick fix to go along with their fast-paced lives. Like the fast-food industry, the health-food industry is FULL of fancy theories and expensive products to be sold on the basis of such theories. There is BIG MONEY in this industry and it is leaving our nation overdrawn in our bank accounts and costing us our health.
“Research shows that the BEST way to prevent chronic disease (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, etc.) is by eating a plant-based diet rich in fruits and vegetables and getting regular exercise, such as taking a 30-60 minute walk five to six days a week. It is amazing that something so simple seems to be so out of reach for so many. While I can understand the appeal of Medifast for someone who wishes to lose weight, I would be very concerned about the real benefit of living off of the shakes, stews, soups, oatmeal, chili, eggs, bars and puddings that are obviously highly processed and likely devoid of the nutrients one can obtain by eating a low-fat, whole foods, plant-based diet.
“What this nation needs is a major paradigm shift in how we view nutrition and that view needs to be free (is that possible?) of the influence of the dairy industry, the beef and poultry industry and most importantly, the health food and weight loss industry. The secret to health is ridiculously simple and notoriously difficult to maintain, but if I’ve learned anything by being in the profession I have chosen for myself, there is NO REAL SHORTCUT. I just wish I could find a way MARKET this and beat out the current “health food” industry and substitute it with a “REAL FOOD” industry.”
D.W.
Zion, Illinois
[Note: Yes, eating your fruits and vegetables, keeping portion sizes sensible and taking regular walks is a surer route to health and weight loss than Medifast ... or any other packaged meal plan. Yet the stock (MED) had a great week!]
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“Long but a very good letter. Several of the health issues you mentioned were addressed by JFK when he was president and I was in high school. Some of the economic problems we are now having were turned around by JFK also. We have short memories.
“When I was young (12), I swam on a swimming team and was a lifeguard until I finished school and had to get a real job. A fear of water is one of the biggest causes of drowning, even by people that can swim. I have pulled people from water that they could stand up in. Really just stood them up.”
G.L.
Memphis, Tennessee
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“Wow this was an interesting letter ! … I’ve personally gone from totally for to totally against the health bill, because I don’t see it as a true reform and I resent all the sloganeering without real details. … As long as Congress listens to the insurance lobby, there will be NO improvement.
“The larger issue is whether it is even Constitutionally legal for the government to tell us that we HAVE to buy something and how much we have to spend on it. Doesn’t sound like Democracy to me. 8%-10% of income for people earning over $88,000? Are they crazed? As a single woman I was spending about $3,000 a year for Blue Cross Blue Shield until I went on Medicare about 5 years ago. It was about 1.5% of my gross salary. THERE IS NEVER A MENTION OF GROSS OR NET SALARIES AND NEVER A MENTION OF THE POSSIBILITY OF LARGE GROUPS TO JOIN FOR INSURANCE.
“I love your idea of taxing junk food. NO company should be too big to fail anymore. Everyone has had plenty of warning. If food companies don’t get the message to go healthy, they should somehow be penalized. … The public is mostly an idiot and will buy whatever is advertised well enough. It’s up to the food companies to take some responsibility for what they feed and sell us. … Our children become sugar addicts in infancy in the US and that’s where all the health problems start.”
L.D.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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“If you think Massachusetts is a mess, move your family to Utah and see how you like the low taxes, cheap home prices and freedom. Oh, did I fail to mention the worst school system in the U.S.? Or how about medical establishment light years behind the East Coast?
“Cheap shots at the extreme left and right are partially what’s gotten us into this mess. Vitriolic musings have replaced intelligence. Don’t like the system, then RUN for office and do something about it!
“Don’t want to? Then how about a compromise? Try focusing each newsletter on something in this country that is working. Show us the positive, e.g. the charter schools in south Los Angeles that are graduating students who go on to college or the Mayo clinic approach to healthcare.”
L.L.
Fullerton, California