The Cost of Being Sick

What did you do for your Christmas Vacation? I ate lots of food, play board games with family, watch movies and television, and took naps. Nothing unexpected. It was nice to take a break after the stress of Finals, and just "let go" of myself. But how are the cultural expectations of overeating and under-exerting affecting our national structure?

Christmas in Blackfoot was nice. I had no school work, and I got to follow a few doctors around in preparation for medical school (still a ways down the road).

Dr. Anthony K. Davis is a specialist in minimally-invasive surgery (he makes smaller scars), and many of his surgeries fall into bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery). Many of the patients that see Dr. Davis hope to lose weight in order to improve their quality of life and lower their health risks. Dr. Davis is perfect for these patients, because he empowers his patients with tools, some surgical and others habitual, and teaches them how to use their tools to fight their weight problems. He said to one patient, "You've been gaining this weight for 20 years, so you can't expect it to be gone over night." There is no twice-daily pill that will solve our health problems.

In conjunction with my experience with Dr. Davis, my wife and I measured our health by the BMI index and the waist-to-hip ratio. These online calculators told me that at 6'0 and 185 pounds, I was overweight and my waist-to-hip ratio gave me a moderate risk for heart disease (it's not as surprising after reviewing photographic evidence).

Then I found a book from 2003 called "The Cost of Being Sick" by Nicholas J. Webb that predicted today's healthcare calamities. Webb also discusses the cure: healthy diet and regular exercise.

From my 3 days following doctors, this cure comes as no surprise. While following two orthopedic surgeons I observed that 90% of their patients are obese. The studies that Webb references back up the claims that obese people need more healthcare thereby creating a strain on the healthcare system, not to mention the physical and emotional strain on the individuals from being overweight.

Since Christmas, I've turned back the alarm clock to give me time to exercise in the morning. Last year, I tried to go it alone with push-ups at home and infrequent jogging. This year, some friends of mine have been playing basketball on weekday morning for a half hour. Suzie and I have been buying more fresh foods and eating canned beans and fruits while monitoring the sweets. These are far from perfect practices, but we have to start somewhere. We all have to start somewhere. Amazingly, we're saving money already, because we're more conscientious of our food and our time. Healthstyle changes have created an upward spiral for us. And when the world around us seems in an ever downward spiral, we each need that daily boost from regular exercise, healthy diet, and financial relief.