'It not an insurmountable task. It's the terrain that we must learn to navigate in order to get the task done'
Let’s Look at How We Got So Sick
As a concerned physician covering the care of hundreds of patients across the country, I often find myself reviewing a patient’s medical records, then looking up to say: “I apologize for your care. I apologize if you have never been told that your condition could be reversible and may have been prevented.” When this happens, I am almost always referring to conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and common digestive disorders.
The prevalence of these diseases has become epidemic in our society over the past 60 years and have been especially devastating for African American communities. Prior to the 1960s, food was grown and prepared to be wholesome and nutritious. Our post World War II efforts to feed the world quickly have resulted in industrialized, denatured foods that provide calories, but leave our bodies starving for the nutrients that are required for its own repair.
Americans then developed an unquenchable palette for the modernized fare of Wonder Bread, Spam sandwiches and dinners we could eat in front of our TV sets. The newly adapted diet, along with the seductive infusion of cigarettes resulted in a host of diseases. Our health had begun to plummet by the 1960s, and the industrial-medical complex was readied with aggressive treatments, prescriptions, and procedures. Many of the convenient medications prescribed for your blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions were only discovered by the 1970s and since have become widely used. It is true. Modern medicine has saved lives, extended lives, and sometimes, unknowingly, prolonged the suffering of life.
Many medications are responsible for the longevity that we have today. Nearly 50% of all Americans routinely take prescribed medications. If you are over the age of 45, half of this population has high cholesterol; one out of 9 people have diabetes and more than 40% have yet to be diagnosed. Nearly 30% of all Americans have hypertension and only half of those cases are considered “under control.” 14% of the U.S. population (34 million people) still smoke cigarettes and 58 million nonsmoking Americans are exposed to the toxic effects of secondhand smoke. These are more than blood pressure raising, heart-pounding statistics. The escalating accumulation of preventable diseases places Americans at risk for life-long medical care, simply to stay alive.
So, how did we get so sick? Our reliance on modern medicine and a pill for every problem has not alleviated our need for better health. Prior to the 1960s, 85% of children walked to school; today, you’ll only find 10% who do so. Today, 86% of Americans drive or carpool to work, while only 5% use transit systems. In other words, we walk less and sit more. Our dependence on computers and mobile phones continues to dampen our health. The foods that we use to fuel our bodies for optimal performance has been altered and modified. Much of the soil in which food is grown has been depleted of vital minerals, and chemical fertilizers do not measure up to what nature once provided as whole and complete nutrition. Combine all of this with the chemical pharmacy that we saturate our cells with, and our body’s natural defenses are left defenseless.
As data is being discovered and disseminated about the effects of COVID-19, we now know that the majority of those who have died from the virus were immunocompromised or had an underlying disease, primarily: hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, lung disorders, kidney disease, liver disease, and acute obesity. Early indicators are revealing that if we can reverse diseases and improve our overall health, we can dramatically reduce our risk factors for COVID-19. But how do you know this if you haven’t been taught or told? With so many diseases becoming so common in our society, chronic illness has become our new “natural” state of being. So many patients have told me, “Doctor, I really don't want to take medications,” but, once a medical professional tells us that medications are necessary and beneficial, we tend to trust what we are being told. And I agree. You should trust your doctor. I also believe you should have the right to ask for what you really want. And, for most, that's better health.
Disease prevention has no longer become a priority. We’ve become so accustomed to our ailments that we've forgotten what it feels like to walk without pain or to run a few steps because it causes us to get winded. We no longer have the patience to resolve unsettling emotions without the overuse of substances, including food. And most Americans have given up on the concept of ideal weight and weight control. It’s not all your fault. Our over-reliance on medications has made our lives easy, but is it the life we really want? I’ll venture to say…no, especially while we’re being placed at greater risk of ravaging diseases, including pandemics. All drugs are designed to change our body’s chemistry. Much of the time they produce the desired effect, but sometimes they blind us to the possibility that we can achieve more comprehensive health solutions.
If you, truly, want better health, here are the questions I encourage you to ask:
1. What is the cause of my disease or condition? (Is it reversible?)
2. Will additional tests be necessary or helpful?
3. What are my options for my best treatment?
4. Are there alternative treatments that I should know about?
5. What lifestyle changes can I make that will accelerate my improvement?
Doctors have a responsibility to advise and educate you about your health, and not simply treat your disease. If you have never been given these options, I apologize for your health, and the care you have been given. Doctors also have every right to make you accountable to what you say you really want. You get to decide on what real health means to you and how you achieve it, in and outside of your doctor's office.
Lori Eanes D.O. is a family medicine physician practicing integrative care. She leads personal client and corporate wellness engagements, showing participants how to achieve better health with fewer medications. drlorieanes.com
As a concerned physician covering the care of hundreds of patients across the country, I often find myself reviewing a patient’s medical records, then looking up to say: “I apologize for your care. I apologize if you have never been told that your condition could be reversible and may have been prevented.” When this happens, I am almost always referring to conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and common digestive disorders.
The prevalence of these diseases has become epidemic in our society over the past 60 years and have been especially devastating for African American communities. Prior to the 1960s, food was grown and prepared to be wholesome and nutritious. Our post World War II efforts to feed the world quickly have resulted in industrialized, denatured foods that provide calories, but leave our bodies starving for the nutrients that are required for its own repair.
Americans then developed an unquenchable palette for the modernized fare of Wonder Bread, Spam sandwiches and dinners we could eat in front of our TV sets. The newly adapted diet, along with the seductive infusion of cigarettes resulted in a host of diseases. Our health had begun to plummet by the 1960s, and the industrial-medical complex was readied with aggressive treatments, prescriptions, and procedures. Many of the convenient medications prescribed for your blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions were only discovered by the 1970s and since have become widely used. It is true. Modern medicine has saved lives, extended lives, and sometimes, unknowingly, prolonged the suffering of life.
Many medications are responsible for the longevity that we have today. Nearly 50% of all Americans routinely take prescribed medications. If you are over the age of 45, half of this population has high cholesterol; one out of 9 people have diabetes and more than 40% have yet to be diagnosed. Nearly 30% of all Americans have hypertension and only half of those cases are considered “under control.” 14% of the U.S. population (34 million people) still smoke cigarettes and 58 million nonsmoking Americans are exposed to the toxic effects of secondhand smoke. These are more than blood pressure raising, heart-pounding statistics. The escalating accumulation of preventable diseases places Americans at risk for life-long medical care, simply to stay alive.
So, how did we get so sick? Our reliance on modern medicine and a pill for every problem has not alleviated our need for better health. Prior to the 1960s, 85% of children walked to school; today, you’ll only find 10% who do so. Today, 86% of Americans drive or carpool to work, while only 5% use transit systems. In other words, we walk less and sit more. Our dependence on computers and mobile phones continues to dampen our health. The foods that we use to fuel our bodies for optimal performance has been altered and modified. Much of the soil in which food is grown has been depleted of vital minerals, and chemical fertilizers do not measure up to what nature once provided as whole and complete nutrition. Combine all of this with the chemical pharmacy that we saturate our cells with, and our body’s natural defenses are left defenseless.
As data is being discovered and disseminated about the effects of COVID-19, we now know that the majority of those who have died from the virus were immunocompromised or had an underlying disease, primarily: hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, lung disorders, kidney disease, liver disease, and acute obesity. Early indicators are revealing that if we can reverse diseases and improve our overall health, we can dramatically reduce our risk factors for COVID-19. But how do you know this if you haven’t been taught or told? With so many diseases becoming so common in our society, chronic illness has become our new “natural” state of being. So many patients have told me, “Doctor, I really don't want to take medications,” but, once a medical professional tells us that medications are necessary and beneficial, we tend to trust what we are being told. And I agree. You should trust your doctor. I also believe you should have the right to ask for what you really want. And, for most, that's better health.
Disease prevention has no longer become a priority. We’ve become so accustomed to our ailments that we've forgotten what it feels like to walk without pain or to run a few steps because it causes us to get winded. We no longer have the patience to resolve unsettling emotions without the overuse of substances, including food. And most Americans have given up on the concept of ideal weight and weight control. It’s not all your fault. Our over-reliance on medications has made our lives easy, but is it the life we really want? I’ll venture to say…no, especially while we’re being placed at greater risk of ravaging diseases, including pandemics. All drugs are designed to change our body’s chemistry. Much of the time they produce the desired effect, but sometimes they blind us to the possibility that we can achieve more comprehensive health solutions.
If you, truly, want better health, here are the questions I encourage you to ask:
1. What is the cause of my disease or condition? (Is it reversible?)
2. Will additional tests be necessary or helpful?
3. What are my options for my best treatment?
4. Are there alternative treatments that I should know about?
5. What lifestyle changes can I make that will accelerate my improvement?
Doctors have a responsibility to advise and educate you about your health, and not simply treat your disease. If you have never been given these options, I apologize for your health, and the care you have been given. Doctors also have every right to make you accountable to what you say you really want. You get to decide on what real health means to you and how you achieve it, in and outside of your doctor's office.
Lori Eanes D.O. is a family medicine physician practicing integrative care. She leads personal client and corporate wellness engagements, showing participants how to achieve better health with fewer medications. drlorieanes.com