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Take Responsibility For Your Own Health

Most people take their health for granted until they have a health problem, and then expect their doctor to fix it. Unfortunately this way of thinking about health doesn't work and is producing unhealthy people despite the increasing sums of money being spent on health care. Yet we have produced a generation where the children are now unhealthier than their parents, and in some cases will die before their parents. So what is going wrong? In this article we will look at why health care is failing and why you must take responsibility for your own health.

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Who Is Responsible for Your Health?

Most people have excuses for poor health. "I just love my food too much"; "I know I'm overweight but I've tried to diet and it didn't work"; "I don't have time to exercise"; "Healthy food is boring"; "I don't believe in vitamins"; "I've given up smoking several times, but I just start up again"; "I wish I could cut down how much I drink but I just don't seem to be able". These are some excuses we make to ourselves, and the loser is ... us! Most people don't take responsibility for their own health, and are therefore responsible for having poor health. If you think that your doctor or the government are responsible for your health, then it is time to think again.

Take good care of your body. It's the only place you have to live. - Jim Rohn

Your Doctor isn't Responsible for Your Health

Health can't be left to your doctor to look after. Your doctor doesn't look after your health. Your doctor only looks after your illnesses. When your doctor says you are 'healthy', all this means is that things have not got so bad that your doctor can find actual disease symptoms. Most people in this state are still far from 'well', however their health can be improved dramatically. They are the walking unwell. Most people take much more care of their car than their body. They have it serviced regularly so that it doesn't break down. If you think of your doctor as being the breakdown service for your body, then taking responsibility for your health is your day to day maintenance.

Health Care Systems Don't Work

The National Health Service (NHS) began in 1948 with the ideal that health care should be paid for by general taxation and be free for everyone at the point of delivery, irrespective of their ability to pay, and based on clinical need. This is, without doubt, a wonderful system. Unfortunately the NHS has totally changed the concept of health in the UK. Most people totally rely on it for all their health needs, and don't take responsibility for their own health. Why should they? They have paid their taxes, and it's their right. Such a concept is not economically sustainable, but is politically unfixable.

The US has another health care system based on insurance. Each individual is responsible for their own health cover. In the extreme form this means that if you can't afford health insurance payments, then you don't get treated if you become ill, or have an accident. Added to this, health care treatments have to pass on their own insurance costs against being sued in such a litigious society. The US system is more expensive than the NHS, but Americans aren't healthier than the British because of it. In fact, throughout the world, health has much more to do with lifestyle than how much is paid for the health system.

Health inequalities are a big concern worldwide. People on low incomes generally have worse health than those with high income. Efforts to improve the health of people on low income often have low success rates. Such people either use a greater amount of resource in an NHS type system, or risk being excluded from a US type system.

The Power of Big Pharmaceutical Companies

Big pharmaceutical companies have changed the way medicine is practiced. This began with the discovery and development of standardised synthetic medicines, which was an improvement over unstandardized and variable herbal products. Progress developed hand in hand with developments in the understanding of diseases themselves. We are now in a state where the financial power of pharmaceutical companies influences or dictates health care systems and policies.

Evidence Based Medicine

Evidence based medicine is being promoted as the way to spend money wisely on health care. This is absolutely correct. However, there have been many recent investigations into how published medical research has been less than honest in the way that it is done and presented. Falsified research, the financial power of pharmaceutical companies, political lobbying and the lack of money for research on non-patentable therapies have all contributed to evidence based health care systems which have rigid ideas on what they believe, which doesn't always seen to be the right answer for health.

Regulation Of Health Care

The practice of health care is regulated to ensure that patients aren't harmed when consulting a medical practitioner. This is good. Unfortunately the current practice of medicine is skewed by the dominance of Health Care Systems such as the NHS and US insurance companies. These, and the Regulation Authorities such as the Department Of Health and the American FDA are using Evidence Based Medicine, which can be biased towards drug based therapies, often with a poor, but highly promoted, evidence base.

Complementary Therapies have some regulation in the way they are practiced. Eliminating bad practice, and those that don't work is a good idea. Unfortunately a heavy-handed approach to complementary therapies in general is often practiced by regulation authorities. Many complementary practitioners complain about the FDA in particular, though EU regulations are now also starting to appear heavy-handed. Better funding of proper trials on complementary therapies would be a great advantage, however this would need to be government funded.

Health Isn't Free

Everyone now thinks that 'health' is free, and that each individual has a right to whatever treatment is best for them, whatever the cost. Unfortunately, costs have now increased enormously. Most people will not now pay money towards improving their own health, and when they do, often choose unwisely. Most people still don't realise that about 80% of illness is caused by poor nutrition and lifestyle.

We may all spend about the same amount of time and effort on health. The difference is that those who spend time on being healthy will usually live a long and healthy life, while others will spend the same time and effort coping with their poor health. The choice is yours.

Those who do not find some time every day for health must sacrifice a lot of time one day for illness. – Father Sebastian Kneipp

You Are Responsible For Your Own Health

So you are responsible for your own health. Your doctor, health system and health regulator are only interested in you if you are sick. They are using evidence based medicine, some of which has been shown to be over-influenced by powerful pharmaceutical companies, and which largely don't support or recognise complementary therapies. Being healthy is down to you and your own efforts. You should look after such a precious thing very well. Yet so many people don't think about health as a daily routine.

Preventative health care is the most important thing you can do to increase your health. The little things you do every day really do add up to either a healthy or an unhealthy life. We can show you how to make the most of your health in such a way that it is a joy and a pleasure. This is what SuperLiving is all about. See our article How To Be Healthy.

Most people are confused by health information, and it is a vital part of your responsibility for your health to obtain and evaluate up to date health information, and apply this to everyday life. See our article on Health Information.

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