Today I didn't see one patient who is adequately taking care of themselves. They are not exercising. They are all overweight (or obese). Some of them smoke. There is no health maintenance. Recently I saw a very heavy woman. Her cardiologist told her that she was "Fat and lazy." (He literally used those words.) Today, one of my patients told her that her internist told her to go on a 1200 calorie per day diet.
If every single one of my patients -- EVERY ONE -- that came in today has a problem with health maintenance, how can it possibly be the patients? If one person becomes a suicide bomber, he's insane. But when the entire village becomes suicide bombers, there is a social problem in that village. Clearly, then, there is something wrong in my village. In fact, I think, it's in my country.
Today was a little extreme. Usually I see a few patients who do take care of themselves. But in my practice, it's probably about 5%. That's lower than the national average: about 10% of americans exercise regularly.
It's difficult, because I treat back pain (which is caused largely by obesity) and stroke (caused by obesity) and neuropathy (often caused by diabetes which is caused by obesity). Parkinson's has nothing to do with lifestyle. ALS has nothing to do with lifestyle. Alzheimer's is interesting because there are studies now coming out that exercise seems to decrease the chances of Alzheimer's and that vascular disease has a lot to do with it, so it may partly be related to our lifestyle -- but only partly.
My society is creating too much disease. There is something very wrong with how we're doing things. People aren't being taught how to take care of themselves.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Unfortunately, people did not grow up in our country celebrating family, friends and life around gym equipment; they did so around the dining room table.
I love your blog. You speak from the heart and that is so refreshing, especially from a physician. Thanks.
Cal
Post a Comment