Oct 26 2011: The direct answer to the question being posted is it's the parent's responsibility to educate children how to make healthy lifestyle choices, including dietary selections. When adults decide to have children, they're on the hook to provide their children guidance in all areas of life. However, the majority of North Americans (51% in of Canadians, 68% in America) are either overweight or obese and they have little to no interest in their own personal health, much less the health of their children. So the question is, "when parents don't care about their health and the health of their children, whose responsibility is it to educate children how to eat healthy?" Given the rate of degenerative diseases found in our youth today, it's clear no one is making this issue a priority.
By the way, while you're on the topic of McDonalds, of all their menu items , can you name the 7 they serve that DON'Tcontain High Fructose Corn Syrup (which is the #1 contributor to obesity in America)? Let me get you started, Bottled Water is one.
Oct 25 2011: Patricia - very well said. Unfortunately when more that half of Canadian adults and over 65% of Americans are either overweight or obese, personal health is NOT a priority for themselves or their families and the children suffer as a result. Again, great comments. Rob.... www.nofinishlineblog.com
There is a direct cause and effect regarding the alarming increase in cases of degenerative diseases directly attributed to lifestyle choices. The challenge is encouraging people to make healthy decisions today that have positive health outcomes many decades into the future.
Generally, humans are short-sighted: why forgo the instant ecstasy of that second or third serving of chocolate cake, or the joy of unprotected sex, when the rewards of restraint are so distant? We can’t simply address the “demand” on our health care system without addressing the root cause of its “supply” issue.
Rewarding people today for health choices that have future positive outcomes is how “Behavioral Economics” is being leveraged with success around the world.
Oct 19 2011: There are many things wrong with how North American's view their health and the systems that delivery healthcare. To summarize, they fall into the following 6 categories:
1. Citizens have to take responsibility for their personal health. When over 60% of all North Americans are now either overweight or obese bad health has reached epidemic levels. It’s going to bankrupt our country, or many people will die young with poor quality of life.
2. We have to change the system from Illness care centric to health care. Currently we don’t have a “healthcare” system, as the only time you use the system is when you’re ill.
3. Doctor’s compensation must be completely overhauled. Currently doctors are compensated on treatment, not outcomes. Your doctor is not incented to make you healthy, only treat your illness and the associated symptoms.
4. The cure too many diseases is prevention. Charities that raise billions each year on the “cure” should be redirected to Prevention initiative. Also, Big Pharmaceutical organizations have to invest more in prevention and not treatment through pills. The result of the current model is our Doctors are simply drug pushers for the Big Drug Company Cartel.
5. Government has stop subsidizing “Big Food” and the unhealthy products they market to us and our children that are known to cause long term degenerative diseases and start supporting the natural (organic if possible) foods that will have positive health outcomes.
6. Understand that the lifestyle choices made today will impact the long-term health outcomes decades into the future and leverage “behavioral economic” techniques that incent people for the good choices they make today that have long-term positive health outcomes in the future.
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A reply on Conversation: Whose responsibility is it to educate our young people on healthy eating, physical activity, and positive self esteem?
By the way, while you're on the topic of McDonalds, of all their menu items , can you name the 7 they serve that DON'Tcontain High Fructose Corn Syrup (which is the #1 contributor to obesity in America)? Let me get you started, Bottled Water is one.
A reply on Conversation: Whose responsibility is it to educate our young people on healthy eating, physical activity, and positive self esteem?
A reply on Conversation: Whose responsibility is it to educate our young people on healthy eating, physical activity, and positive self esteem?
A reply on Conversation: What is the future of healthcare? How can it become health care vs sickness treatment? What role do technology and innovation play?
There is a direct cause and effect regarding the alarming increase in cases of degenerative diseases directly attributed to lifestyle choices. The challenge is encouraging people to make healthy decisions today that have positive health outcomes many decades into the future.
Generally, humans are short-sighted: why forgo the instant ecstasy of that second or third serving of chocolate cake, or the joy of unprotected sex, when the rewards of restraint are so distant? We can’t simply address the “demand” on our health care system without addressing the root cause of its “supply” issue.
Rewarding people today for health choices that have future positive outcomes is how “Behavioral Economics” is being leveraged with success around the world.
A comment on Conversation: What is the future of healthcare? How can it become health care vs sickness treatment? What role do technology and innovation play?
1. Citizens have to take responsibility for their personal health. When over 60% of all North Americans are now either overweight or obese bad health has reached epidemic levels. It’s going to bankrupt our country, or many people will die young with poor quality of life.
2. We have to change the system from Illness care centric to health care. Currently we don’t have a “healthcare” system, as the only time you use the system is when you’re ill.
3. Doctor’s compensation must be completely overhauled. Currently doctors are compensated on treatment, not outcomes. Your doctor is not incented to make you healthy, only treat your illness and the associated symptoms.
4. The cure too many diseases is prevention. Charities that raise billions each year on the “cure” should be redirected to Prevention initiative. Also, Big Pharmaceutical organizations have to invest more in prevention and not treatment through pills. The result of the current model is our Doctors are simply drug pushers for the Big Drug Company Cartel.
5. Government has stop subsidizing “Big Food” and the unhealthy products they market to us and our children that are known to cause long term degenerative diseases and start supporting the natural (organic if possible) foods that will have positive health outcomes.
6. Understand that the lifestyle choices made today will impact the long-term health outcomes decades into the future and leverage “behavioral economic” techniques that incent people for the good choices they make today that have long-term positive health outcomes in the future.
For more, go to www.nofinishlineblog.com