It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of the current medical model for health. As a society – at least here in the States – we have a very reactive mindset as opposed to preventative.
Using the most obvious example – heart disease – it’s more common for a physician to prescribe a litany of pills to help “mask” the issue rather than take the more practical (and generally less expensive) route of educating people that eating a whole egg won’t kill them, and that Taco Bell probably isn’t the best choice for dinner.
Of course, it’s much more complicated than that as we have to consider psycho-social and behavioral issues, as well as the more glaring obstacle that our society enables poor health choices left and right. I mean, can you blame a kid for crushing chocolate milk and an apple fritter for breakfast when that’s all that’s available to him or her in school? Right from the start, we’re programming them to accept that highly processed, sugary foods are part of a “healthy” start to the day.
We’re now currently in a state where, for the first time EVER, our children are expected to have a shorter life span than their parents.
Anyways, my blood pressure is rising just thinking about it. Ironic, huh?
Back to the whole doctor thing, though. I’m not placing all of them under one umbrella of suck. Obviously there are a infinite number out there who “get it” and actually take a more proactive approach to medicine.
Interestingly, when it comes to the research available to physicians (which dictate what medications they prescribe to their patients) positive findings are TWICE as likely to be published than negative findings.
In every sense, doctors are literally blinded in evidence based medicine.
This is why primary care is shady business. Or, more to the point, why drug companies are a bunch of a-holes at times.
In their defense, doctors seemingly NEVER get the full picture. How effective can they be in prescribing medication if they don’t have access to ALL the trials?
What Doctors Don’t Know About the Drugs They Prescribe – Ben Goldacre
The Last Acceptable Prejudice – Dr. Jonny Bowden
This article kind of falls in line with the TED talk above (especially as it relates to drug companies), but most importantly it was a fantastic article discussing prejudice against the obese. More specifically, it delves into the story of Jennifer Livingston, the news reporter up in Wisconsin who was openly chastized by a viewer concerning her weight.
Another less obvious point to consider is how the internet allows people to say things that they would never say to someone’s face.
Is Aerobic of Anaerobic Training Best For Getting Rid of Belly Fat – Charles Poliquin
Before the gates of Hell Fire open, let me state that I’m not opposed to aerobic training. I’d much prefer someone do something over nothing – and if that entails going for walks or jogging or Zumba class (with some *cough, cough* extracurricular activities) than so be it.
That said, as a strength coach, I obviously lean a little more towards the “people should lift heavy things” side of the equation.
Ever wonder why commercial gyms are chock full of “cardio” machines and why they’re the most popular, yet the vast majority of people using them are still overweight?
This isn’t the case all the time, but Coach Poliquin does bring up some interesting data in his argument.
