27. Self-Health Care
Most likely you’re reading this book because you want to take
more control of your health. The rampant problem of chronic disease,
including the epidemic of overweight and obese people, now encom-
passes the majority of all the people in the industrialized world. As
this problem continues to rise, no health-care system will be able to
keep up with the medical needs of all these individuals. The health-
care systems of all countries are already overspending while the
explosion in costs has only just begun. The answer to the problem is
self-health care.
There is a primary issue missing from the health-care discussions
that come up at each election; an issue that would help ensure success
and significantly reduce costs. If we are to truly improve the health-
care system for the long term, each one of us must take more person-
al responsibility for health. Health care must have a primary proac-
tive component — in which individuals avoid ill health and disease
— instead of the current reactive approach where we wait for disease
to occur then treat it.
Experts generally agree that most health problems, including
most diseases, are preventable. In its truest definition, prevention
refers to “outlasting disease” by being healthier at an earlier age.
While “screening for disease” is important, it’s a separate issue, and
does not take the place of true prevention. As individuals, we are the
only ones who can truly prevent disease.
Taking personal responsibility for health is a significant step
toward improving the overall health of our own bodies, our families,
our communities and the world. In doing so, health-care costs can
begin to drop after year one, and dramatically be reduced further
over time. The process is not unlike getting people to wear seat belts
or quit smoking — both examples of true prevention. But the process