Better Diet and Lifestyle May Aid the Economy
Here is another wake up call to all you couch potatoes out there! The headline above is mine and the article I read that leads me to that conclusion does not mention the idea, but reading of the report published by The Trust for America’s Health, leads to that inescapable conclusion. We have all heard that improving the diet and lifestyle of people will lead to reduced health care costs, but now there is a well researched dollar figure put the idea. According to the report:
“an investment of $10 per person per year in proven community-based programs to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and prevent smoking and other tobacco use could save the country more than $16 billion annually within five years. This is a return of $5.60 for every $1″.
The report restates the well known problem that health care costs are a huge drain on the U.S. economy, but claims that this problem is “overlooked”. I don’t know about that conclusion. Is it possible that there is a living, breathing soul in the modernized world that does not know that improving their diet and lifestyle will have positive personal and economic results? Maybe, but I hardly think you can sweepingly call the problem overlooked. Maybe the report’s authors mean overlooked by our elected officials and policy makers. Now that I might agree with.
Fortunately the report offers many new ideas and recommendations that, if implemented, may really lead to significant cost savings and overall improvement in health. The bottom line of the report is that before the bottom line of our health care costs can be improved, our diet and lifestyle habits need to be fixed. This is the crux of the well publicized recommendations we have been reading and hearing for years. It is also still the major stumbling block. We all know we should improve our diet and lifestyle, but it is not the easiest thing to do. This report offers some new ideas and suggestions. Let’s hope we can all take them to heart.
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Hey Will very interesting, I was wondering how they came up with the results, and what kind of programs they suggested then I read their report, they have it all laid out pretty nicely, hopefully if the programs are implemented the people will make use of them, that’s the key.
Bobs last blog post..Here Comes The Sun
Comment by Bob (114 comments.) — July 18, 2008 @ 5:28 pm
$5.60 return on a positive investment of $1 is a big thing!
I understand the position that the US Economy is currently in - but all of us over the world need to learn.
We don’t think twice before eating, and then later health-care services, gyms, etc. cost us extra bucks. What a drain!
Anyone who’s a true patriot will consider this important - your Better diet and Lifestyle will give you a healthy and longer life, plus it will be such an asset to your nation’s economy.
Comment by Abhinav Sood (10 comments.) — July 21, 2008 @ 12:45 am
Does that counter balance the effect of not having the tax from cigarettes? I am not a big fan of smokers or cigarettes, but if the money from them helps the community, that is a good thing.
Comment by True Diet Reviews (1 comments.) — July 21, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
I am not a big fan of taxes on things that are consumed, whether it is smoking, gas, or alcohol. I think it makes too many govt. agencies beholden to the products. If our govt was not so dependent on these taxes, changes would be easier to make. I think taxes need to be much simpler and straight forward and not tied to particular vices.
Comment by Will — July 21, 2008 @ 12:23 pm