2020 will forever be known as the year of the pandemic. But, long before any of us knew what Covid-19 was, we were already battling a pandemic: obesity, notably Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. When I saw the mortality rates coming out of Italy early, I knew we were in trouble here, largely due to our pre-existing health issues. A lot of people misunderstood that 94 percent co-morbidity rate associated with Covid deaths, but that rate can also not just be swept away. We have to examine why so many of us have chronic conditions.
And then there is the healthcare side of it. Poor diets and the chronic conditions that follow cost the US economy roughly one trillion dollars. That is a lot of zeros, by the way. Want proof? $1,000,000,000,000. There it is typed out. That is a crushing burden on a healthcare system. Poor health drives up the cost of healthcare more than any legislation or legislature ever could. We spend twice as much on healthcare now than we did in the 80s, and are still unhealthier. This is because of the choices we have made with our health. One in three Americans are obese. Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on prescription drugs, many of which from chronic obesity-related issues. A recent medical journey meta-analysis found that only 12 percent of Americans could be categorized as metabolically healthy. This is not okay and is something we must change.
Targeted To Make Us Fatter
Poor diet leads to poor health. It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to connect the dots there. And yet. Companies profit off our disease too. The average American consumes 156 pounds of added sugar a year. Not just sugar (naturally occurring), but 156 pounds of added. The average American consumes 133 pounds of flour a year, which our body quickly converts to glucose. The US has the highest consumption of soda in the world as well. And then there is the type of fats we consume and the PUFA industry (vegetable oils).
The CDC also quantitatives the lack of sleep as a current epidemic. Sleep deprived people are twice as likely to have heart issues and four times more likely to have a stroke.
Our Choice
The pandemic shutdown has made many of us less active than an already sedentary lifestyle that leads to many long term complications. We have the ability to not fall into that trap.
MovelevATe 