The Truth About Who Should Pay For America's Healthcare Crisis

Surely, we must know that we cannot look to the American Medical Association, providers, or our pharmaceutical companies to become mainstream champions for achieving fundamental wellness. They are businesses, which in their existing design profit when we are unwell. We cannot expect our meat, dairy, egg, or “chemicals-charading-as-food” manufacturers to urge us to make healthier dietary choices - or warn us of the devastating effects of consuming their products. No, we can’t expect them to do so and yet, apparently, we do anyway.

In 1987, John Robbins (heir to Baskin-Robbins), wrote Diet For A New America, subtitled, “How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth.” He provided astounding evidence that the “Great American Food Machine” is making us fat and sick, consuming huge amounts of energy, and destroying our environment - all in the name of ever higher profits. His book was an international best-seller and in 1994, he received the Rachel Carson Award, along with a standing ovation at the United Nations. Yet, in 2009, we are fatter, sicker, and ever more reliant upon a healthcare system that would be better termed a “sickcare” system.

Since Mr. Robbins broke ground with his book, many others have written of the connection between our heavily weighted meat, dairy, egg, and processed “food” diet and our increasing rates of obesity, illness, disease, energy consumption, and environmental woes. The numbers say that we’re buying these books - that we’re becoming informed. However, given the current focus on “fixing” our healthcare crisis, I wonder whether we are really reading them...? I suspect the answer is that while many of us are better informed, most of us find it too difficult to make healthy choices within a nation in which “fast and cheap” foods line our roads and grocer’s shelves.

So, why isn’t Diet For A New America - and other crucially important books of its kind - being taught in our school systems? It isn’t a book about theory or philosophy - it is a book of proven scientific facts regarding food choices that directly impact our health, happiness, longevity - and finances. You might think that it’s because school systems are hesitant to cross the invisible line with families and promote eating habits that differ from those at home. But then you’d have to wonder how it is that they were able to chase God and patriotism out of our school systems, while appearing to hail milk and the hamburger as somehow sacred?

I suppose it could be that nobody really believes we would change our eating habits, even if we were properly informed. Yet, information about food does reach our children in classrooms - it’s just not good information. It makes me wonder why our political and educational leaders haven’t led the way in integrating the healthful information offered by people like John Robbins into our mainstream information channels and educational systems? Are they, too, ill informed? Or have they determined that continuing to feed our food machine is more important economically than promoting our health? If so, it was a short-sighted gamble, which has finally made its economic downside known. Or is there some other explanation?

Look, nobody who is currently making money from our unhealthy behaviors is going to tell us to do something different. So, we’re going to have to take it upon ourselves to get the word into our own “background” channels - educate ourselves and our children - learn to value and care for ourselves - and collectively ignore the messages of those who do not ultimately have our best interests at heart.

I am not suggesting that we diet to get thin in hopes of fitting with some social ideal. Doing such is experienced as deprivation. Instead, I am suggesting that we choose to become healthy and experience empowerment as we purposefully decide not to make rich those who contribute to our reliance upon doctors, medical procedures, and drugs - thus, health insurers, employers and our government.

In the meantime, let’s get the word to our representatives that we do not intend to pay for their proposed Healthcare (Sickcare) Reform. We are no longer willing to stand by and watch irresponsible food (or cigarette and alcohol) companies become rich making us sick, while we foot the bill for the outcomes their products create. Instead, we expect to see some hard truths come out of Washington about who - which companies - are fueling our obesity, diabetes, and heart disease epidemics (among others) and get them to pay for the national “clean up” of our bodies. Yes, we expect them to pay for our healthcare. I do realize that the cost would be passed on to the consumer, but wouldn’t that simply mean the end of “fast and cheap” unhealthy foods? The fact is that if you want to change an outcome, you’ve got to change a core component and it’s more expedient to get a few hundred companies to change than three hundred million people.

Let’s ask our representatives why the studies and information presented in Diet For A New America haven’t made it into our educational system - or mainstream communication channels yet? And why there are practicing medical doctors, who remain unaware of vitally important facts, such as diabetes can be cured by a dietary change...and it has nothing to do with limiting carbohydrates or administering prescriptions?

There is a precedent for requiring the producers of pollutants to pay for cleaning up their messes. There was a time - not that long ago - in America when it was considered appropriate for companies to dump chemicals into the water, air, and ground around them. When it finally came to light that their behaviors had led to countless symptoms, diseases, and deaths among area residents - not to mention environmental nightmares - they were forced to pay for the environmental clean-ups and compensate those whose lives they had (even unknowingly) impacted. Today, it is evident with our healthcare crisis that our bodies have become similarly polluted. Our providers and pharmaceutical companies can be found wildly waving their hands in the air, claiming that if we give them more money - they can “save” us. Well, that’s a little bit like a landscaper offering to plant a flower garden on a chemical spill - it might look pretty for a while, but it doesn’t address the real problem. It’s time to stop the polluting - and get the polluters to clean up their mess.

Look, when we are healthy, we will not have a healthcare crisis. Rather obvious, isn’t it? Clearly, it is time for us to take responsibility for ourselves and the quality of our own lives. Being free and self-ruled means learning to care and provide for ourselves - to make decisions to our benefit - to make it difficult for companies to profit from contributing to our demise. Remember, “they” are not going to save you. One of our greatest social myths is that there is a “they” responsible for doing so. However, we can insist that while we are learning to make healthier choices and care for ourselves, our government will simultaneously incorporate penalties and disincentives into the system for those who promote and profit from our unhealthy behaviors and outcomes. Our government is intended to serve, represent, and execute our wills.

Please, let’s all wake up to the fact that our organizations should not be our leaders. Advertising messages are not designed to inform, but to get us to take action to the benefit of the company with something to sell. However, given new direction, they will ultimately follow our more healthful lead. They will respond to the changing flow of our money - and our votes for representatives who will hold producers accountable - as soon as we step up and LEAD. We cannot afford to be followers anymore.