{"id":3385,"date":"2021-11-10T06:38:20","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T06:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whitehawkassociates.com\/?p=3385"},"modified":"2021-11-22T06:51:40","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T06:51:40","slug":"the-reason-american-has-a-healthcare-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whitehawkassociates.com\/test\/the-reason-american-has-a-healthcare-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"The Reason American Has A Healthcare Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThere can be no solution to the healthcare crisis that does not address America\u2019s unchecked\u00a0 epidemic of chronic disease, which afflicts more than half our citizens and consumes 86% of the\u00a0 exorbitant $3.2 trillion spent each year on care.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014Clayton Christensen<\/span>2<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chronic disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the U.S. Rates of chronic disease\u00a0 have never been higher, with cost of chronic conditions necessitating the vast majority of healthcare dollars spent. Chronic disease is so common that more than half of U.S. adults have at\u00a0 least one condition, accounting for over 85% of annual healthcare spending.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the World Health Organization, 80% of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes\u00a0 and 40% of cancer could be prevented, primarily with improvements to diet and lifestyle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The U.S. spends at least 18% of its GDP ($3.35 trillion in 2019) on health expenditures. If costs\u00a0 continue to rise, by 2050 Medicare and Medicaid alone will account for 20% of the GDP. All\u00a0 projections point to continued rises in chronic disease. If we don\u2019t reverse this trend, we are\u00a0 headed for bankruptcy as a country. The solvency of our nation is at stake.<\/span>3<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The most widely accepted clinical practice guidelines (promulgated by the American Medical\u00a0 Association, Cleveland Clinic and other authoritative medical organizations) indicate that\u00a0 medications, medical devices and surgeries should be used as treatment for chronic disease <\/span>only after lifestyle intervention (i.e., correction of diet) first does not yield a satisfactory health\u00a0 outcome<\/i><\/b>. Practice guidelines state this, because 70 years of research indicate that most cases of\u00a0 chronic disease may be reversed and eliminated (i.e., cured) by correction of diet. In the words\u00a0 of T. Colin Campbell, PhD, one of the world\u2019s foremost authorities on food\u2019s role in the genesis\u00a0 and reversal of chronic disease:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSwitching to a whole-food, plant-based diet with little or no added salt, sugar and fat, produces\u00a0 astounding health benefits. This dietary lifestyle can prevent and even reverse 70% to 80% of\u00a0 existing, symptomatic disease, with an equivalent savings in healthcare costs for those who\u00a0 comply. This treatment effect is broad in scope, exceptionally rapid in response (days to weeks)\u00a0 and often, lifesaving. It cannot be duplicated by animal-based foods, processed foods or drug\u00a0 therapies<\/span><\/i>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite its efficacy, however, lifestyle intervention remains untaught to doctors and unavailable\u00a0 to patients. Prescribed instead is the greatly inferior yet highly profitable treatment modality\u00a0 known as disease management. Designed to render chronic disease livable by medicating its\u00a0 symptoms to mask them, disease management does patients a disservice by lulling them into a <\/span><\/p>\n

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