Jimmy is a hypertensive, pre-diabetic, obese, middle-aged man whose brother, Bob, just died from a massive heart attack. Jimmy is now eating fried chicken at the funeral ceremony because he wanted some comfort food during a time of great sadness and stress.
Unfortunately for Jimmy and many other Americans, there is an entrenched system in our country that reinforces Jimmy’s unhealthful behaviors.
Here are a few of the winners and losers:
Winners
Doctors & Hospitals: There is no shortage of chronically sick patients.
Drug Companies: There are plenty of patients (like Jimmy) on meds for life, who are never cured.
Meat/Dairy Industry: These two industries receive government subsidies for Jimmy’s cheeseburgers, which clog his arteries and promote cancer cell growth
Big Agriculture: Government subsidies are also readily made available for Jimmy’s high fructose corn syrup laden “food-like substances” which keep him quite hefty and addicted.
Losers
Doctors: Many doctors die from the same preventable diseases as Jimmy. They are not immune to being just as obese, sick, food addicted, and on the very same path to early death
Bob: He died of a preventable disease (heart attack)
Bob’s Wife & Children: The family has lost a husband and a father
Small, Local Organic Farms: These types of farms tend to receive minimal government subsidies. And unfortunately, fruits and veggies aren’t really part of Jimmy’s diet, even though they should be.
U.S. Federal Government & Employers: Health care costs are continually on the rise, contributing to federal budget deficits and greater company expenses
The Earth: The continued over-consumption of animals contributes greatly to global warming and creates many environmental pollutants, continually destroying our environment.
Sadly, in the aftermath of Bob’s funeral, Jimmy will probably continue to eat fried chicken, cheeseburgers, pepperoni pizza, and other unhealthful foods during his life…at his church, sporting events, work and elsewhere. He will almost certainly continue to take prescription medications for the rest of his life. His doctor probably does not have the time or resources to offer to him a comprehensive dietary and lifestyle education and support program, which would give him the best possible chance for disease reversal or cure.
Unfortunately, this approach has not yet become a part of most medical education programs, which instead focus on prescription drugs, surgery, and and other forms of technology that are only really useful after the damage has been done.
However, if Jimmy is lucky, he may stumble into a lifestyle medicine practice such as that of Jennifer Rooke, MD, in Atlanta, GA, or learn about a cutting edge coaching and telemonitoring system such as MyOwnCare. These “root cause” approaches were discussed in detail during my recent Funerals and Fried Chicken® Radio Show.
Practical advice for Jimmy was also specifically discussed during the show by both Dr. Rooke and by Chris Corbett of MyOwnCare, LLC: [email protected].
I am certain that the day will eventually come when our U.S. health care system will help people like Jimmy by mandating a plant-based whole foods approach to disease prevention and cure, but in the meantime, how many more Americans will suffer greatly and die early? It seems we are too proud as a medical profession to admit that the solution to our nation’s health woes is as simple as eating a lot more fruits and veggies and eating a lot less animal based and processed foods.
Any movement in the direction of eating more plant-based whole foods and less animal based foods will benefit your health and also help to preserve our planet.
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