Originally published December 12 2010
US life expectancy continues to plummet, but not because of inadequate health care
by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
(NaturalNews) A new report published in the journal Health Affairs says the U.S. has dropped to 49th place in overall life expectancy among the nations of the world. The report blames the nation's failing health care system and lack of universal health coverage as the culprit. But the true causes of America's poor health include things like its broken food system, overuse of chemical pesticides, and dependence on pharmaceutical drugs -- all of which are poisoning the population and the environment, and lowering lifespans.
In 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranked the U.S. 24th in the world for overall life expectancy. But over the past decade, that ranking has dropped 25 spots, and experts have been scrambling to come up with an answer as to why this is the case.
Authors of a recent study allege that the "uniquely inefficient" health care system in the U.S. is to blame, and in a sense they are right. The U.S. health care system promotes disease rather than health. But on the other hand, the authors miss the point because their sentiment seems to suggest that universal health will solve the problem when, in reality, it will only make it worse.
The truth about the broken health care system
The U.S. health care system can actually be better described as a "sick" care system. The medical industry thrives on illness rather than good health; it is what generates a steady cash flow. And it operates from a perspective that pharmaceutical drugs and surgery are the final answer to all illness and disease, with no functional role for nutrition.
Preventing disease is a foreign concept to many doctors and health professionals, and the population at large has no idea how to feed their bodies what they need to stay healthy. So the result is a nation of people that are perpetually undernourished and lacking in vital nutrients, which lands many in an endless cycle of prescription drug addiction and ever-worsening health.
Rather than teach people how to eat better, for instance, the health care system waits until people become sick and loads them up with drugs and expensive procedures as the "cure". Drug companies make a lot of money with this approach, but overall health continues to decline as a result. And the out-of-control costs of maintaining this type of system only bankrupt the nation.
But instead of getting rid of the toxic system and giving back to the people the freedom to become educated in good health and make their own health decisions, universal care endeavors only expand the scope and reach of the "sick" care system. And it centralizes and strengthens the medical powers that already censor truthful health information, persecute herb and supplement companies, and perpetuate illness.
Nutritional illiteracy and widespread misinformation are killing society
Health concepts are largely misunderstood in society, which leads to confusion about what foods are healthy and what foods are not. Saturated fat, for instance, has been vilified by mainstream medicine for years, even though it is a necessary component of good health. Only recently has the truth about the value and importance of consuming quality saturated fats begun to gain mainstream attention. (http://www.naturalnews.com/029930_saturated_...).
Then there are all the FDA-approved food additives, trans-fatty acids, and chemicals that plague the nation's over-processed food supply. Hydrogenated oils, processed sugars, food colorings, and other harmful ingredients are the very causes of most disease in the country. But rather than tell people the truth about them, the government actually subsidizes the crops and industries that make these cheap, unhealthy food ingredients available (http://www.naturalnews.com/028419_food_tax_h...).
Even fruits and vegetables are tainted, as most conventional varieties are doused in pesticides and herbicides that are linked to all sorts of diseases and illnesses (http://www.naturalnews.com/pesticides.html). Unless families make a concerted effort to buy only organic or otherwise clean produce, they are regularly consuming unknown levels of dangerous chemical pesticides that are gradually making them sick.
Genetically-modified (GM) foods are present throughout the U.S. food supply as well. Most corn, soy, and canola ingredients, for instance, come from GM varieties. GMOs are linked to intestinal and immune dysfunction (http://www.naturalnews.com/029041_GMOs_toxic...) and genetic mutations (http://www.naturalnews.com/027226_food_GMO_f...), among other things.
Widespread dependence and trust in the safety and effectiveness of vaccines is another popular medical myth that is destroying the health of the nation. And within a universal health care system, vaccines will likely be mandated as part of the government's health requirements, even though vaccines are linked to autoimmune disorders, infertility, severe inflammatory reactions, and even death (http://www.naturalnews.com/pesticides.html).
Expanding the scope of the health care system as it currently exists will only make a bad problem worse. Reforming the nation's entire approach to health, on the other hand, will help millions to avoid developing serious illness in the first place. But it starts with informed citizens making conscious health choices, telling others the truth about how to achieve and maintain good health, and working constantly to promote health freedom both locally and nationally.
Sources for this story include:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/10/slips-49t...
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