Posted By: Richard B. Brooke
 Date Posted: January 4, 2010

The Health Care Reform debate has reached a new high of rhetoric. And, we are barking up the wrong trees. We need to look at our health care system realistically and then look to ourselves responsibly to solve the problem as individuals.

Hospitals

Hospitals charge too much. Well of course they do. They are totally inefficient and waste money like it was toilet paper. Why? Because they can. When you are sick enough to be in the hospital, you will pay anything to get out.

Hospitals charge too much. And they always will.

Doctors

Doctors charge too much. Really? Let’s see. They go to high school and get near-perfect grades so they can get into a great college and get near-perfect grades so they can get into medical school and get perfect grades so they can be an intern and work 30 hours a day. They do this so when they are 30 years old and their own life is more than a third over already, they can operate on our brains, hearts, lungs, livers and any other life-sustaining organ we have abused. And we want to pay them how much? I know people with no education that make a $1 million a year selling skin care, vitamins, jungle juice. I don’t mind that my cardiologist earns the same.

Drug Companies

Drug companies charge too much. I don’t know … what would you charge if you invented something that showed even a little bit of promise in preventing or curing a disease that led to peoples’ untimely deaths? Maybe you would not charge huge amounts to your friends and family, but what about people you would never meet? You’d probably charge them whatever they would pay to keep from dying. What are people willing to pay to keep from dying? All they have. If you were dying you would pay whatever it took. It is called supply and demand. They wouldn’t make it if we didn’t buy it.

Insurance Companies

Insurance companies charge too much. Well, of course they do. They have to pay the hospitals and doctors and drug companies because we don’t want to — or more accurately can’t even begin to.

When insurance companies pay out health care costs, they charge us what the costs are PLUS a huge profit for them…since we are asking them to take the financial risk. They are a for profit business with demanding shareholders. Yes you can get wiped out by a heart problem or cancer but the real costs to insurance companies is us wanting them to pay for our prescriptions; for our doctors visits, for our eye glasses and every other little thing. It is our body. It is us who decides to eat what we eat, smoke what we smoke and drink what we drink. We are responsible yet we want someone else to be accountable.

You want your employer to pay for it? Fine. Are you smoking crack? Who do you think pays for it? Do you think your employer takes it out of his bottom line profit or takes it out of what he/she might be willing to pay you?

We want health care reform? Then let’s reform OUR health.

As a nation, we are focused on the effect, not the cause. We have rampant health care costs because we are a sick society. And, in most cases, this is not because of bad genetics; and it’s not because of the environment. It’s because of what we eat. We eat dead food — food that has had all the nutrients cooked out of it; all the enzymes nuked to death. We eat fat and expect to be skinny. We eat death and expect life. Then, when it doesn’t work out, we want to blame everyone but ourselves. We want the “government” to fix it. We want the president to fix it. He can’t fix it. He is no match for billions in profits. He is no match for the Senators, the Congresspersons, the lobbyists and the CEOs that depend on it. And what if … just what if … he is one of them?

I am a little overweight because I choose to be (sort of). I like to eat great food in larger-than-required quantities more than I like to ride my bike 10 miles a day. Sometimes I choose to eat junk. It tastes good. Plus, it’s not my fault because the food companies have subliminally programmed me through billions of dollars of TV ads. I believe, in my subconscious, that if I eat Cheetos I will have a happy life surrounded by happy beautiful people.

My wife, Christine, is my guardian angel. She is the best, most honorable consumer of food I know. She does her research on how food is processed and with that education can easily choose to avoid it. Study the cattle and chicken industry closely and you will likely choose to avoid all but free range. Study shrimp farms and you will likely never eat it again. Study pesticide use and you will always eat organic. A few days ago at some fancy dinner I gobbled up a nice big piece of Foie Gras. I know it is goose liver and it is excessively fattening for you. But I didn’t know this about the geese that provide it. Check this out.

Now I know you probably don’t eat much Foie Gras but these stories are rampant in our food supply. Education is the motivator for common sense, people.

Let’s Focus On Our Health

We all need to be covered by major medical insurance to prevent a catastrophic financial burden should we get plain unlucky. Many diseases can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat; and those who are uninsured will get the worst possible care — if they get the care they need at all. Until someone or something provides it for us, we should all invest one of our first extra $100 each month into this kind of insurance.

Everything else we could prevent just by changing our habits. The motivation to change our habits can come from being educated…educated about the massive big business and big government conspiracy works to keep us fat, sick and broke. This movie is a great place to start.

Look at the pictures of the families below.  It really tells a powerful story.

Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide
Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros, or $500.07

United States: The Revis family of North Carolina
Food expenditure for one week: $341.98

Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily
Food expenditure for one week: 241.36 Euros, or $260.11

Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican pesos, or $189.09

Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna
Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 zlotys, or $151.27

Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo
Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian pounds, or $68.53

Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo
Food expenditure for one week: $31.55

Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village
Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum, or $5.03

Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp
Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs, or $1.23

Yours in good health,

www.RichardBrooke.com

COMMENTS (13 - Responses)

Heather Brocklehurst
1/4/2010 5:49:30 PM

Great article Richard. I'd say

Connie Gremm
1/4/2010 6:43:02 PM

As Americans we have been schooled to be food motivated from infancy, therefore, have become gluttons and overweight. When I was a kid on the ranch, we grew everything we ate but this urban home I now have does not lend itself to that. I am so thankful for the nutritionals we now have available to supplement our

Sue
1/4/2010 7:42:31 PM

WONDERFUL!!! Thank you, Richard, for letting your huge audience know about this.

If more people like you with your wide following would do the same and broadcast this message out maybe more people would begin to take responsibility for their own health/lives AND, a passion of mine, simply STOP the animal CRUELTY for our needless, greedy 'wants'.

Kindest regards,

Susan

Lori Hanni
1/4/2010 8:59:57 PM

Oh My Gosh!! I had NO idea about the Foie Gras, that video clip made me sick, why would someone think that, that was alright to do!! That is exactly why I will no longer eat Veal(kalbfleisch) once I saw how those calves are treated to make Veal!! The calves are taken from the mother right away, put in a stall that is only wide enough to back into, wood or metal planks touch both sides of the calf, then the neck is tied up where the calf can't put it's head down, because if he ate any of the straw on the floor, it would change the color & flavor of the meat(meat is usually more white in color). The calf is only allowed to drink cows milk for the duration of it's life(usually about 3 to 4 months). The whole time not allowed to have solid food of any kind, not able to move, because it makes the meat tougher. Not able to see the light of day or get fresh air as well. And yes I also saw the ones who treat their calves a little better, but in the end it's all the same!! Thanks for sharing!

Rick Irrgang
1/5/2010 9:09:36 AM

What a great article Richard, thanks. We really are what we eat. I am so grateful that we have been able to help people with our business. Because of it, we have become very aware of everything we eat and everything we use for personal care products. Oh, I also should ride more and eat a little less but we do what we can. Thanks again

Audrey Wiggins
1/5/2010 11:38:00 AM

What an amazing piece. Me and a friend, who is in the insurance industry, were just talking couple weeks ago about regarding health care reform. We concluded with pretty much the same message EDUCATION. Thank you, Richard, for putting your message forth so profoundly.

Susan Davis
1/5/2010 3:13:09 PM

Once again a very thought provoking post Richard. Well done!

Erin Budwick
1/5/2010 3:27:47 PM

Thanks Richard! The hair on my fitness goals are certainly more on fire after this post. I'm off for a run.

Joshua Rogers
1/5/2010 4:18:12 PM

Great article Richard. The video on Foie Gras brought tears to my eyes. Man's pursuit of profit and pleasure has lead to some incredibly inhumane behavior, and I am so thankful to have an ethical means of securing my own future through Oxyfresh. Thanks for the insight and opportunity.

Carolyn Jones
1/5/2010 7:34:16 PM

Fantastic that you included the photos and stats on families from other nations for a bigger world view .It brings so much into focus, as well as the ethical choices you pose via the links. Thanks Richard, our choices can and do make a difference!

Nile C. Costa
1/6/2010 4:49:53 PM

Thank you Richard.
A Great and Amazing article.
Once again make me think that we ARE what we EAT.
And very informative about animal cruelty for some to be SATISFIED. UNACCEPTABLE.

Sandy Bassett
1/7/2010 8:00:24 AM

Marvelous article, the photos and stats on families of other nations was quite an eye opener. Thank you

Joan Egeness
1/12/2010 7:14:43 AM

Thank you Richard. An outstanding article, with much needed information. Thanks also for the photos.