We all want to be healthy. Some of us are fortunate and are healthy even when we do not make any particular effort to be healthy. Some of us stay healthy when we strive to be healthy. Some of us are unfortunate and health eludes us. This is especially true in old age.
What is health? WHO defines it as achieving a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing. What is that we gain by staying healthy?
This may sound as a dumb question but as i ponder on it, i have more than one answer. The simplest would be health is required to indulge in pleasurable activities. An hedonistic approach which brings us face to face with the fact that most pleasurable activities when overdone result in ill-health!
Being healthy gives us economic liberty. This is government and societies view. Society benefits from healthy individuals who contribute economically.
Being a human what is the greatest benefit of being healthy. Good health gives us freedom. The freedom to do the things one wants to do. This is only realized when one sees people in sickness from close quarters. Paradigm changing events are at times related to surviving a life threatening disease. Because this enables one to choose rightly with the freedom one has.
The onus of staying healthy lies with the individual. It is individuals responsibility to stay healthy. But what can governments do to aid its citizens to stay healthy? How can societies promote healthy living?
Maternal health, sanitation, nutrition are some of the basic aspects which needs to ensured for all citizens. Health of children is another aspect. These are the foundation and must.
But what about health of adults and elderly? Can we create right incentives for them to stay healthy?
The question of freedom comes up again!!
I should have the freedom to smoke......
I should have the freedom to drink soda.......
I should have the freedom to eat junk food..........
The question of freedom, informed choice brings us to a conflict.
Personally i do not believe in banning anything. At the same time i accept that human beings are not as rational as they appear. The choices we make may be detrimental to us and the society. Our ability to analyze information into knowledge and convert that into wisdom is restricted and limited.
When such is our ability can we trick ourselves to lead healthy life. Guess so. Peer pressure, incentives from society, companies and government can probably modify our behavior.
Reference:
1. Offline: Why governments should take health more seriously
2.What Big Soda Learned From the Marlboro Man
3. http://www.hdassoc.org/site/files/351/105796/364911/499774/Active_Policy_Attention.pdf
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Friday, March 22, 2013
Monday, March 11, 2013
Global Burden Of Disease
We all strive and seek pleasure. This pursuit is through family, love, work, passion. We trade our time and pay a price for whatever success we aim and achieve. Most of the time, the price paid is in terms of health. Mental and physical health is always at risk and if not paid attention to lapses into ill health with severe damage and cost for self and others.
Most components of health are in our influence and we by right living can stay healthy. But there are certain elements which are beyond our control and they can overwhelm us. Lead poisoning is one such thing, mental and physical health deterioration by involving in the care of loved ones (especially spouses who take care of elderly patients with Alzheimers or Pakinsons disease).
While the world is making progress, we are moving from dangers of communicable disease to non-communicable disease.
Quoting from a recent publication:
1. Mental and behavioral disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and drug use, are the primary drivers of disability worldwide and caused over 40 million years of disability in 20- to 29-year-olds.
2. DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years) from high blood pressure increased by nearly 30% between 1990 and 2010. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and circulatory diseases.
3. Unlike other risk factors that primarily cause DALYs from communicable diseases, progress in reducing premature death and disability from iron deficiency was much lower, declining by just 7% between 1990 and 2010. Slow progress in reducing iron deficiency helps explain why iron-deficiency anemia ranks as the third leading cause of disability globally.
To stay healthy requires awareness and adequate actions to be taken.
Most components of health are in our influence and we by right living can stay healthy. But there are certain elements which are beyond our control and they can overwhelm us. Lead poisoning is one such thing, mental and physical health deterioration by involving in the care of loved ones (especially spouses who take care of elderly patients with Alzheimers or Pakinsons disease).
While the world is making progress, we are moving from dangers of communicable disease to non-communicable disease.
Quoting from a recent publication:
1. Mental and behavioral disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and drug use, are the primary drivers of disability worldwide and caused over 40 million years of disability in 20- to 29-year-olds.
2. DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years) from high blood pressure increased by nearly 30% between 1990 and 2010. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and circulatory diseases.
3. Unlike other risk factors that primarily cause DALYs from communicable diseases, progress in reducing premature death and disability from iron deficiency was much lower, declining by just 7% between 1990 and 2010. Slow progress in reducing iron deficiency helps explain why iron-deficiency anemia ranks as the third leading cause of disability globally.
To stay healthy requires awareness and adequate actions to be taken.
The most disheartening thing is the number of premature deaths because of road traffic accidents, as illustrated in the graph below.
Thanks to Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Other publications related to this are in Lancet December 2012.
Hopefully will write more about this in future posts with insight into what actions can be taken to become more healthy!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Spending, Countries, Habitat and Health
Without health it is difficult to have fun, pleasure, wealth, freedom and drive for reason and responsibility. At times in pursuit of above mentioned things we lose our focus on health and lose health! This is true at individual and country level.
Which country has the best health care system?
Does spending more on healthcare ensure better health?
What is the optimum funding for healthcare?
How health is a linear and non-linear function?
The above questions require research and data collection and analysis. And it will always be a work in progress. Three articles published in Lancet throw some light and make us ponder on health.
Wealth But Not Health In USA The article speaks about the now well known fact that US spends more on health care per person than other G7 countries.
Americans especially American women are having declining health for 30 years. Americans fare badly not only at life span but also at infant mortality, low birth weight, injuries and homicides, teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, drug-related deaths!, obesity, diabetes and heart disease, chronic lung disease, HIV/AIDS prevalence. The data if segregated according to region and economic level will be more revealing about the disparity in health condition.
I suspect there is a great inequality in health care access and outcome within US. This despite the fact that US spends 18% of its GDP on health. The leading European countries range between 9.5 to 12 %. And they have better metrics to show. One thing which i dare to conclude without digging into the data is that probably the level of inequality is less as of today. It will be interesting to note the metrics 5 and 10 years from now as austerity measures get implemented.
Cuba spends on healthcare and has results to show for it also.
What are the lessons for other countries? What model should one follow? How should the government intervene or give incentives for better health. This especially true for young nations like India and China which will have its major population moving above 50 years in coming decade or two.
The Lancet article mentions the following remedies for US.
"Why are Americans at a health disadvantage compared with those in other countries? The fragmented US health-care system, and, in particular, poor access to health care and to primary care, are partly to blame. Lack of insurance, or inadequate insurance, restricts access to health care for many Americans. But the system is not the only problem. Unhealthy behaviours abound in the USA, particularly overeating, drug abuse, and other risk-taking activities such as not wearing motorcycle helmets, drinking and driving, and using firearms. Social and economic conditions in the USA contribute to high incomes for some, but to high poverty and income inequality for others, and to low standards of education. Welfare safety nets are not as robust as they are in other countries. Moreover, cities in the USA are often built around car use, which discourages physical activity and contributes to obesity."
Also it seeks implementation of National Prevention Strategy.
The report mentions the following things:
The Strategy’s seven Priorities are designed to improve health and
wellness for the entire U.S. population, including those groups
disproportionately affected by disease and injury.
• Tobacco Free Living
• Preventing Drug Abuse and Excessive Alcohol Use
• Healthy Eating
• Active Living
• Injury and Violence Free Living
• Reproductive and Sexual Health
• Mental and Emotional Well-Being
My opinion:
1. Behaviors are difficult to change. People who fight fires are normally the heroes and not the one's who prevent fires! We need to glorify fire prev-enters.
2. Corporate's, government, schools, colleges should stress on healthy living. Incentives and recognition should be given to healthy people. Ideal Blood pressure individuals in different age groups, Best Glycemic control in a particular quarter, Best Aerobic capacity person, etc etc.
3. Role of viruses in causing infections, chronic diseases and cancers should be highlighted. Vaccinations should be explained.
We need not have to wait to implement these strategies in Emerging Countries. Every nation stands to benefit by rewarding healthy living.
Other articles to read:
1. Guardian
2. UC Atlas
3. PBS Newshour-How US Compares
A slightly different view!
So what are you going to do to stay healthy?
Which country has the best health care system?
Does spending more on healthcare ensure better health?
What is the optimum funding for healthcare?
How health is a linear and non-linear function?
The above questions require research and data collection and analysis. And it will always be a work in progress. Three articles published in Lancet throw some light and make us ponder on health.
Wealth But Not Health In USA The article speaks about the now well known fact that US spends more on health care per person than other G7 countries.
Americans especially American women are having declining health for 30 years. Americans fare badly not only at life span but also at infant mortality, low birth weight, injuries and homicides, teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, drug-related deaths!, obesity, diabetes and heart disease, chronic lung disease, HIV/AIDS prevalence. The data if segregated according to region and economic level will be more revealing about the disparity in health condition.
I suspect there is a great inequality in health care access and outcome within US. This despite the fact that US spends 18% of its GDP on health. The leading European countries range between 9.5 to 12 %. And they have better metrics to show. One thing which i dare to conclude without digging into the data is that probably the level of inequality is less as of today. It will be interesting to note the metrics 5 and 10 years from now as austerity measures get implemented.
Cuba spends on healthcare and has results to show for it also.
What are the lessons for other countries? What model should one follow? How should the government intervene or give incentives for better health. This especially true for young nations like India and China which will have its major population moving above 50 years in coming decade or two.
The Lancet article mentions the following remedies for US.
"Why are Americans at a health disadvantage compared with those in other countries? The fragmented US health-care system, and, in particular, poor access to health care and to primary care, are partly to blame. Lack of insurance, or inadequate insurance, restricts access to health care for many Americans. But the system is not the only problem. Unhealthy behaviours abound in the USA, particularly overeating, drug abuse, and other risk-taking activities such as not wearing motorcycle helmets, drinking and driving, and using firearms. Social and economic conditions in the USA contribute to high incomes for some, but to high poverty and income inequality for others, and to low standards of education. Welfare safety nets are not as robust as they are in other countries. Moreover, cities in the USA are often built around car use, which discourages physical activity and contributes to obesity."
Also it seeks implementation of National Prevention Strategy.
The report mentions the following things:
The Strategy’s seven Priorities are designed to improve health and
wellness for the entire U.S. population, including those groups
disproportionately affected by disease and injury.
• Tobacco Free Living
• Preventing Drug Abuse and Excessive Alcohol Use
• Healthy Eating
• Active Living
• Injury and Violence Free Living
• Reproductive and Sexual Health
• Mental and Emotional Well-Being
My opinion:
1. Behaviors are difficult to change. People who fight fires are normally the heroes and not the one's who prevent fires! We need to glorify fire prev-enters.
2. Corporate's, government, schools, colleges should stress on healthy living. Incentives and recognition should be given to healthy people. Ideal Blood pressure individuals in different age groups, Best Glycemic control in a particular quarter, Best Aerobic capacity person, etc etc.
3. Role of viruses in causing infections, chronic diseases and cancers should be highlighted. Vaccinations should be explained.
We need not have to wait to implement these strategies in Emerging Countries. Every nation stands to benefit by rewarding healthy living.
Other articles to read:
1. Guardian
2. UC Atlas
3. PBS Newshour-How US Compares
A slightly different view!
So what are you going to do to stay healthy?
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