We used to try to avoid doctors.
Now we turn to them for our health.
Enter healthcare consumerism. This recipe for disaster is one of the latest in consumerism trends, or the false belief that we can simply purchase or consume something to make us happier or healthier. This strategy rarely works in any aspect of our life, and it is unlikely to successfully alleviate the issues that arise from the lack of a proactive and healthy lifestyle. Band aids do not prevent cuts, no matter how many you purchase (not even the 320-count packs at Costco).
Health is a seed planted in our homes, germinated through our lifestyle and actions, and pruned throughout the years of our lives – there are no shortcuts. This germination requires us to support a life that is healthy and proactive, not reliant on our hospitals for miracle solutions and life support. Whether this support is through elective surgeries or medications, these band aids, while certainly necessary at times, are plan B, and focusing on plan B to achieve plan A is a poor strategy and destined for failure. And fail, it has.
Healthcare Consumerism– The Myth that We Can Buy the Best Health
The push to “make healthcare affordable” and to “increase access to healthcare” are noble and necessary causes, and few could argue against these goals (with one caveat – I would argue that several large, money-fueled healthcare systems and “nonprofits” may be focusing on the latter less in an effort to improve health, but rather to improve their collections and compensation). However, viewing these strategies through polarizing lenses often leads us to overlook the fact that health does not, nor will it ever, start in the hospital. This was strongly demonstrated when we assessed vending machines at hospitals, and they were full of chips, soda, and candy – the same food items that nutrition guidelines condemn as unhealthy.1 A better health business strategy is Health Cost Averaging.
Furthermore, a massive component of the skyrocketing cost of healthcare is treating chronic and preventable diseases, again supporting the fact that if we were not spending so much money on medical issues that could be avoided though a healthy lifestyle, we would have more left over to cover less preventable issues that arise.
Along these lines, health starts within ourselves, our families, our friends, our environments, and communities in which we surround ourselves. Health, the infinite game comes from respecting ourselves and others, striving to be our best, eating real food, and stressing our bodies with exercise (and vegetables). Those overwhelming temptresses, consumerism and convenience, on the other hand, stand in direct opposition to our health as they promote unhealthy behaviors and derail our attempts at a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life (Grub Hub even delivers fast food directly to our homes now!). Whether we are talking about healthcare or other consumer products, more is not always better.
So, if we believe this last point (and I strongly believe it) how effective will we be to overcome the unhealthy dangers of consumerism if we turn towards more and more healthcare to account for factors that are largely unrelated to the hospital as another part of our latest fascination with consumption? Are we not following the same path?
As healthcare costs continue to rise at an alarming rate, we should pause and consider that a prudent strategy may be one that attempts to empower us to avoid healthcare as much as possible, and instead focus on preventative care (yes, some screening tests and wellness visits are necessary, but mostly a healthy lifestyle controlled in our own households and through our own actions) to avoid having to consume more healthcare in urgent care settings, doctors’ offices, clinics and hospitals. Save the latter for when we really need it, because unfortunately, there will likely be a time when we really need it.
Along these lines, as an oncologist, I view myself as last in line for optimal health. When things go wrong (and unfortunately for many of us, things will unavoidably go wrong at some point), I can hopefully step in and help the patient to get things back on track. And yes, we absolutely, positively, need to ensure that my care is affordable and accessible. But wouldn’t it be, when possible of course, much more efficient to avoid me the first place?
The path to health is a long one, but the walk can be quite nice.
Go ahead, put me out of a job, force me to realize my dream of becoming an olive farmer (or at least an olive tree photographer). But if we want to be healthier as a whole, adding healthcare spending to the wheel of consumerism will only worsen our current health problems, which are largely unrelated to our hospitals.
References:
Champ CE, Iarrobino NA, Haskins CP. Hospitals Lead by Poor Example: An Assessment of Snacks, Soda, and Junk Food Availability in Veterans Affairs Hospitals. Nutrition. 2018;0(0). doi:10.1016/j.nut.2018.09.028
*Main image by jcomp on Freepik
© 2019 CDR Health and Nutrition, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This article points to all the flaws in our healthcare system. First, that we do not take control of our health and second, that we rely on an overpriced irrational system to retroactively address our maladies – many of which could have been avoided. We need good doctors like you who want to arm their patients with knowledge and the power to avoid reliance on a broken and costly system.
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