We Get out of Health Care What We Put Into It

Time will tell whether we finally get accessible, affordable health care in this country. But even the most adamant proponents of reform have to admit that the only way it'll work is if we all acknowledge that poor health is one of the biggest cost drivers.

Two-thirds of the US population is now overweight, and the rate of obesity among children has tripled since 1980. There's enough blame to go around. It's harder to find time to exercise. It's tough to eat healthy on a limited budget. Food manufacturers have filled their products with high fructose corn syrup and other inedible things, instead of fresh ingredients. Schools are cutting physical education. Playtime for kids means playing Nintendo Wii or PlayStation.

But we know these things. We know what too much food and too little exercise does to us. And yet the downward spiral continues. Every New Year's resolution to lose weight goes unmet. Five pounds here and there don't really matter until you can barely get the jeans over your legs.

But the real damage comes during that trip to the doctor, when you've been told you have heart disease, or diabetes, or any of the endless health effects of an unhealthy lifestyle. And then you need medicines, which costs money, andwhat your copay doesn't cover, your insurance company does - until they raise your premiums, or decide you're too expensive to cover.

I wonder if maybe this is one of the concerns of the people who oppose health care. Maybe they think the government is just going to pay us to keep living unhealthy, consequences be damned. I hope not. So many of our bills are caused by unhealthy habits. Imagine how many cases of diabetes could be prevented with better nutrition counseling. Imagine the number of heart attacks we could prevent with better exercise. The benefits to smoking cessation programs are immeasurable.

But it requires work among everyone. It requires an increased focus on good health in schools, including programs that encourage more physical activity. It includes creating neighborhoods that make walking safer and easier - think about how healthy you'd be (and how much gas you'd save) i you could walk to the store every time you need milk. It requires making organic and other healthy foods less expensive, or enocuraging people to cook with fresh ingredients. And yes, maybe it requires a snack and soda tax.

Most of all, it requires a commitment from everyone. Once in a while, a Big Mac is fine, and there's nothing wrong with a piece of birthday cake. But those are treats, not staples. The government should not be seen as either the enemy or the father. It isn't socialist to encourage good habits, but laws and rules and taxes won't solve the problems unless people are willing participants in their own good health.