Nutrition and Exercise
Something has gone terribly
wrong in the pharmaceutical industry today. Medications in America are
increasingly expensive. Every month a new magic pill emerges, and we are
bombarded with commercials for drugs that
cite side effects that sound worse than the original
ailment. Does this make any sense to anyone out there?
Does this sound familiar? “Warning:
may cause nausea, headaches, constipation, dizziness, drowsiness or in extreme
cases death.” In the case of one drug they mention sleep driving. Are you for
real; sleeping while driving? Americans spent $230 billion on prescription
drugs in 2005. Pharmaceuticals are ranked No. 3 on the Fortune 500 list of most
profitable industries in the country.
You name the health concern
and a drug is out there for it. Drugs help us control cholesterol, lower blood
pressure, regulate the menstrual cycle, prevent osteoporosis and end acid
reflux. The idea that these drugs are helping you is a short term illusion created
by the instant gratification of symptom relief. You may get the same relief from nutritional changes and have no risk
of side effects. They only work as a band-aid to a larger problem.
She says profits for
pharmaceutical manufacturers really took off in 1980, when new
legislation allowed university medical researchers and big drug companies to
form an alliance. Before that time, taxpayers funded drug research, and findings
were available to any pharmaceutical company that wanted to use them.
With the new law,
universities could patent their discoveries and grant exclusive licenses to
drug companies. Suddenly, unbiased
research disappeared. Then, Congress passed another series of laws
extending monopoly rights for brand-name drugs to 14 years, another big win for
the pharmaceutical industry.
Under
this law, pharmaceutical companies could market their drugs without competition
for 14 years, charging whatever they liked. Only after the
14-year period could companies sell generic copies of the drug. This law
allowed government granted monopolies in the form of patents and FDA-approved
exclusive marketing rights.
As profits increased from
these new policies, so did the political clout of drug companies. Claiming to
help with a particular condition, there is another way—a healthy path that
involves nutritious food, physical activity and a healthy life.
By 1990, the industry had
unprecedented control over its own fortunes. If it didn’t like something that
its regulatory body, the FDA, decreed, it could force change on the policy
through direct pressure or friends in Congress. The new found clout of the pharmaceutical industry led to a
transformation in the ethos of medical school.
Medical schools began
searching for commercial opportunities and now welcome big sponsorships from
drug companies. Pharmaceutical sales teams offer presentations to
medical students, teaching them about the benefits of their products. Future doctors may have idealistic notions
about preventing illness and making Americans healthier, but many of them
graduate believing modern drugs are the quickest and most effective
way to cure any symptom.
Every
year, 2 million Americans become seriously ill from toxic reactions to
incorrectly prescribed medicines. Hello, where is the FDA? They
appear to be overly focused on helping drug companies maximize profits rather
than protecting consumer interests. Almost no one in the government is asking
the right questions.
People don’t need more
drugs. Maybe they need to understand disease prevention, the importance of
exercise and how to eat a healthy, balanced diet. The fact that so many people
are on medication should be questioned, discussed, and addressed. The greatest threat to our communities is
not violence it is our poor health and the conspiracy to keeps us sick.
The reason I share this
information is not to blame the FDA or drug companies. I want the American
public to wake up to the fact that our system is broken. I want people to
understand that even though a pill is out there claiming to help with a
particular condition, there is another way—a healthy path that involves
nutritious food, physical activity and a healthier life.
What I find so curious is that
with all the money we spend on medical bills and pharmaceuticals each year, our
life expectancy is nearly the same as Cuba’s. To be exact, life expectancy in the United States is 78.0 and in Cuba it is 77.1. We
need to wake up and make change for ourselves. The health care industry is
broken and they have no reason to support your healthier choices.
So folks what are you going to do? Will continue to take the medications and suffer the outcomes of poor medical practice? Or will you decide to take action and create a healthier environment for you and your family. Go to your cabinet get rid of the junk first, dairy second and wheat third. While you are up Stay Up Get Moving and remember,
Source: Integrative Nutrition
No comments:
Post a Comment