If Americans want to know why their health care is so costly and getting costlier, they need only look in the mirror.
Americans are notoriously unhealthy--we eat too much, drink too much, and sit too much. When roughly 80 percent of cardiovascular disease and 40 percent of all cancer cases could be prevented by simple lifestyle changes, it is time to take a deeper look at the problem and ask who is truly responsible. Consider that:
- After seventy years of innovation, heart disease and cancer remain the top two causes of death in the United States.
- In 1960, health care spending was 5 percent of America's GDP; today, it is 17.5 percent.
- The government spends over $1 trillion annually on health care.
- Nearly one in five American deaths is associated with poor diets.
- Simply reducing sodium intake by 1,200 mg per day could save up to $20 billion a year in medical costs.
In Make America Healthy Again, Nicole Saphier, a Memorial Sloan Kettering physician, nationally recognized patient advocate, and media personality, reveals how individual negligence and big government incompetence have destroyed America's health care system. Combining historical events, economic trends, and essential lifestyle advice, with her unique perspective, she offers concrete solutions to address this epic problem.
We don't need socialized medicine--we need to take better care of ourselves. By getting healthier and adopting preventative measures, Saphier believes, we can reduce the astronomical costs of treatment and improve overall care. The only way to lower medical costs for everyone is to stop incentivizing bad health decisions. Policies such as the Affordable Care Act and single-payer plans ignore something crucial to lowering the overall financial burden: personal responsibility. We can no longer expect doctors and the government to fix illnesses we have the power to prevent. Regardless of which health policy is adopted, our nation will flounder unless we take action. It is up to the American people to make America healthy again.
Contributor Bio: Saphier, Nicole
A nationally known medical contributor and regular guest anchor for the Fox News Channel, Nicole Saphier is a full-time practicing, board-certified radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.