Let's make America Healthy Again!
Do you have a purpose that you live for? I do! Leading up to celebrating the 4th of July, our American Independence Day, I’d like to share with you why I became a doctor, and what fires me up each and every day to give back to my country, and leave this world a better place than I found it.
Did you know that for the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children is projected to not live as long as their parents? This is some statistic, and is hard to swallow when thinking about America’s future!
Being a parent or grandparent, this claim defies what we have grown up knowing. In the past 200 years, innovations in medicine and general health education have extended the lifespan of the American population. Could the current generation of children really not live as long as their parents; will we live longer than our children or grandchildren?
While in school finishing up my doctorate studies, I learned that:
- Chronic disease rates in America have skyrocketed from 12% in the 1980s, to over 50% of American children today
- Of all developed countries, the United States has the highest infant mortality rate — one of the most important health markers of a society
- Of the children surviving the one-year threshold, 54% are diagnosed with at least one of (20) chronic autoimmune or neurological disorders, and are at risk of obesity and developmental delays.
Well, these statistics put me on a mission to find out how to keep this phenomenon from happening in my family, friends, patients and COMMUNITY. But first, what are the statistics, and where is the US having challenges?
Why IS it time to Make America Healthy again?
During my (14) years as a doctor, I am still appalled at the data and health statistics that continue to worsen. I don’t want to be a “debbie-downer” and start raving like a lunatic. Not my style. But, and a BIG BUT, it is my style to look at the facts, understand them, and bring solutions to the attention of those that are looking to make this a better place to live. I’d like to leave this amazing world knowing that I helped our children and leaders of tomorrow equipped with the tools to be healthy, well adjusted, and aware adults.
So, after researching the CDC website, and several others, let’s take a look at the glaring issues facing each of us as American’s, and the positive healing that can be realized by implementing some (often times) simple solutions.…..
The US ranks 37th in healthcare worldwide, dead last of the world's industrialized countries
Even though the US ranks #1 in trauma care, and our 30-day mortality for heart attacks and strokes is better than in comparable countries, we have a long way to go in terms of cleaning up our act. The mortality ratein the US for respiratory diseases, and pregnancy-related deaths is appalling!The US also ranks higher for premature death (dying before the national average age), un-needed cesarean section infant deliveries, obstetric trauma during vaginal delivery (especially when instruments are involved), and post-operative blood clots (after surgery). To add insult to injury, US hospital safety rankings in terms of medical, medication, and lab errors are nothing to be proud of! Makes you want to rush out to your nearest hospital, doesn’t it?
May God bless our healthcare workers, they give their all, yet come up short in safety and many other health-saving statistics. There are answers (which are too involved to delve into here), but we will go into more detail in a future newsletter, I promise!
For the first time in two centuries, the current generation of children in the US will not live as long as their parents
We are raising a “sicker” America. According to the USDA, 13.1 million children under 18 in the United States live in households where they are unable to consistently access enough nutritious food necessary for a healthy life.
America’s students are dealing with chronic illnesses at unprecedented rates. The CDC reports that Asthma, for example, has accounted for 10.5 million missed school days annually.
There is not one fix to increase our children’s longevity. Now is the time to be smarter, pioneering and more enterprising in solving our children’s preventable health challenges. We have a chance to do some transformative work to protect our children so we can help them secure a healthy future.
A better educated America is a healthier America. We can do amazing things if we truly think of meeting our children’s needs first.
The current state of Health care and health insurance is not sustainable if preventable chronic diseases continue to account for 75% of our nation’s health care spending
Read that again! 75% of our nation’s health care is spent on PREVENTABLE chronic diseases. Sounds easy, when we as a nation take responsibility for eliminating 75% of preventable chronic diseases, that will leave only 25% of our ailments for us to focus on. Good news, this is doable!
In the US, more children suffer from malnutrition due to dietary imbalances than due to nutritional deficiencies
Malnutrition is the condition that develops when the body is deprived of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ function.
Malnutrition occurs in people who are either undernourished or overnourished. In the United States, more children suffer from malnutrition due to dietary imbalances than due to nutritional deficiencies.
The body requires many different vitamins and minerals that are crucial for both body development and preventing disease. These vitamins and minerals are often referred to as micronutrients. They aren’t produced naturally in the body, so you have to get them from your diet.
A nutritional deficiency occurs when the body doesn’t absorb, or get from food, the necessary amount of a nutrient. Deficiencies can lead to a variety of chronic health problems such as weak immune systems, digestive problems, skin disorders, psychiatric issues, IBS, dental decay, and more.
Much of this is due to the diminishing nutrients found in our foods today, or the types of foods we choose to eat; both something we can educate and rectify rather easily!
The US allows nearly 6 times more toxins in our food than Europe
While it may seem like the government is out to protect us from bad-even fatal-food-borne illnesses, which cause some 3,000 deaths a year, they don't completely have our best interest-or health-in mind.
Some of the top problematic products that are forbidden by governments, outside the U.S., due to their detrimental effects on human health are Olestra (aka Olean) found in fat-free potato chips, Brominated vegetable oil (aka BVO) found in Sports drinks and citrus-flavored sodas, Potassium bromate (aka brominated flour) found in Rolls, wraps, flatbread, bread crumbs, and bagel chips, the list goes on and on…..
The repercussions of consuming these toxins range from thyroid issues, such as hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease, and cancer, major organ system damage, birth defects, growth problems, schizophrenia, and hearing loss, which explains why they have been banned in more than 100 countries. Let’s work to get them banned in America, also!
Most American children are given (54) vaccination doses today, in comparison to (24) doses in the 80’s
Why does this matter? The fact that our children are required to receive so many vaccine doses so early in their formative years to attend public schools, or to even leave the hospital after birth, is alarming! Heaven forbid if they fall behind on the regime, these poor children are given an even higher number of doses within a shorter amount of time. This is a problem!
Front-loading shots can overwhelm a babies’ immune system or expose them to toxic levels of chemicals such as mercury, aluminum and formaldehyde. The more vaccination doses a child receives, the more toxins their body needs to eliminate to stay healthy.
I’m sure you have heard the many reports on vaccine-and-autism studies. I will address this controversial subject in a separate newsletter to follow.
More than 18% of Americans report symptoms of Depression
This statistic of 18% of Americans reporting symptoms of depression was before COVID hit the USA! During the time frame between August 2020 and February 2021, the percentage of adults with recent symptoms of an anxiety or a depressive disorder increased from 36.4% to 41.5%, and the percentage of those reporting an unmet mental health care need increased from 9.2% to 11.7%. Increases were largest among adults aged 18–29 years old.
Why do statistics of Depression matter? Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems, and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home. This in turn affects the health of America.
People with depression have problems functioning in society, and with others. This is not healthy for the individual, our families, or community. How can our nation solve problems, nourish our youth, unify in heart, when so many of us are depressed and have no desire to take part in life?
Sleep deprivations affects more than 35% of Americans
Why is your sleep important? Sleep is needed for proper cognitive and behavioral functions. An insufficient amount of sleep can lead to serious repercussions. Studies have shown sleep deprivation leaves people vulnerable to attention lapses, reduced cognition, delayed reactions, and mood shifts.
It’s also been suggested that people can develop a sort of tolerance to chronic sleep deprivation. Even though their brains and bodies struggle due to lack of sleep, they may not be aware of their own deficiencies because less sleep feels normal to them.
Lack of sleep has been linked to a higher risk for certain diseases and medical conditions. These include obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, poor mental health, and early death.
Only 50% of Americans get the exercise they need
Everyone is aware of the importance of exercise, but do you know WHY exercise is important? Exercise benefits many different areas of your body and your life.
Regular exercise increases your overall level of fitness, which in turn boosts your immune system and makes you more resilient to illnesses.
If only 50% of Americans are getting the exercise they need, we as a nation are making ourselves sick with diabetes, heart disease, strokes, bladder cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer, depression, hip fractures, arthritis, and premature death, to name a few! According to the CDC, exercise can improve all of these illnesses… Surprised? This is an easy fix….
Obesity rates in children have tripled over the last three decades
Being obese can hinder someone’s quality of life and have serious health consequences like developing heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes, cancer, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, joint problems, and sleep apnea. If we can’t get our youths obesity under control, the current statistics will continue to escalate out of control and bankrupt America.
Today, there are more than 2.8 million hospital stays every year in the U.S., where obesity is a cause or contributing factor. Approximately 300,000 people die from obesity in America every year. The medical care costs of obesity are almost $150 billion per year in the U.S. Obese individuals spend about $1,500 more on medical care for themselves than people of healthy weight. Obesity-related medical costs could rise by $48 to $66 billion per year by 2030.
Got your attention yet? Thought so. There are solutions, but we’ve got to buckle down and take our nation’s obesity problem seriously!
Over 10%of the US population have diabetes
Long-term complications of diabetes develop gradually. The longer you have diabetes — and the less controlled your blood sugar — the higher the risk of complications. Eventually, diabetes complications may be disabling or even life-threatening.
Living life with diabetes is no fun; the illnesses are many: Stroke, Heart Disease, Erectile disfunction, Amputation of limbs, Nerve Damage, Kidney failure, Blindness, Hearing problems, and Alzheimers.
If our nation is struggling to deal with the preventable illnesses of diabetes, we are side-tracked from enjoying and protecting the freedoms we have fought so hard to obtain.
Prevention is multi-facetted: eat healthy foods, get more physical activity, and lose excess pounds. I’ve got some strong opinions on why Americans have food addictions; more on that later….
Over 41.23 million people wear dentures in the US
Why is this a problem? Wearing dentures can reduce life expectancy by (10) years or more!
The reason? Dentures put wearers at risk of malnutrition because they cause wearers to avoid healthy foods which are difficult to chew; foods such as fibrous fruits and vegetables, nuts, and meat, which are essential for good nutrition.
Dental health is more important as a society than most realize. Those wearing dentures will tell you that you will experience a rapid aging of your face. In addition to the physical changes, the emotional changes one faces, impacts the quality of their life. Dentures should be a last resort option due to the physical and emotional changes they wreak on your face and mind.
Let’s not sacrifice our wisest, older adult population to malnutrition and depression. These older Americans exhibit high levels of pro-social values and behaviors, such as volunteering, helping and caring for others, caring for nature and the environment, and wisely endorse equal treatment for all by example. They’ve lived through the ages, and have so much to offer our nation in their golden years!
The US ranks 33 out of 36 in Infant mortality of industrialized countries worldwide
… it’s safer to give birth to a child in the fields of Africa alone, with no doctor, than in our own American hospitals! Yes, it’s true, don’t shoot the messenger!
It has been widely reported that the United States has a relatively high infant mortality rate compared with other developed countries: More than 6 out of every 1,000 live births in the US resulted in infant death, putting us on par with countries like Serbia and Malaysia. Most other developed countries -- as geographically diverse as Japan, Finland, Australia and Israel -- have lower rates, closer to 2 or 3 deaths out of every 1,000. Shocking, isn’t it?
Generally, especially compared to the worldwide statistics, American babies have good survival rates in their first few weeks of life. It is only after they reach one month of age that differences between the United States and other developed countries start to widen.
The five leading causes of infant death are: Birth defects, SIDS, Preterm birth and low birth weight, and Maternal pregnancy complications. In the end, more research is needed to determine how these and other factors really do help explain differences in infant deaths between the United States and other developed countries, but there are some simple things we can do to make a BIG difference today! Watch for our newsletter focusing on Infant Mortality in the next few weeks…..
Over 25% of Americans reported that they engaged in binge drinking, before COVID
Binge drinking can lead to several short-term and long-term effects. A binge drinker is at a higher risk for severe health problems due to a weakened immune system.
Over time, regular binge drinking can increase the risk of certain chronic diseases or other serious long-term problems, including:
weakened immune system
liver diseases including cirrhosis and hepatitis
cardiovascular problems including high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke
digestive problems
certain cancers including mouth, throat, esophagus, breast, liver and colon
mental health problems, including depression and anxiety
social problems, such as unemployment and family issues
Sounds like fun, huh? It’s time we stop glamorizing alcohol consumption for the sake of ourselves and our children!
Almost 16% of American adults smoke daily
We all know that smoking is bad for us! According to the CDC last month, Smoking-related illness in the United States costs Americans more than $300 billion each year!
Health care costs for smokers at a given age are as much as 40 percent higher than those for nonsmokers.
Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of health problems for developing babies, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and birth defects of the mouth and lip. Smoking during and after pregnancyalso increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Need I say more? Let’s stop the madness!!!!
So, how DO we solve these problems, and make America Healthy again?
First of all, we need to change our Mindset.
The need in health care is very simple. When you hear the words, Health Care, what do you think of? Do you think of your doctor or health provider? This is what most Americans think of, health as being something outside of ourselves, not our innate personal birthright, freedom, and individual responsibility…..
We have come a long way in understanding the complications of our body, but not very far in understanding the complications of our mind.
This is the number #1 challenge for our nation’s mindset. What makes you or me healthy is not just what diseases pop up on a daily or annual basis. We must think about the totality of health for our families and ourselves – how we live, how we work, what we eat, how we exercise – the totality of how each and every one of us lives, each-and-every day.
Instead of medical innovation being America’s source of great strength, it has become our greatest weakness. Most Americans look to experts to solve our health problems with pills, diets, and surgeries. As a nation, we are getting unhealthier and hoping that doctors will save us.
We can’t give away our health to any one. Our health is our responsibility, to preserve and protect.
Wellness promotes active awareness and participation in measures that preserve health, both as an individual and in our communities. Maintaining wellness and optimal health is a lifelong, daily personal commitment.
Our families need to BE healthy, to STAY healthy, if we want to LIVE as long, or longer, than our parents did.
And, we need to improve the Health of Americans, NOW!
It’s an absolute horror that 54% of our American youth are diagnosed with at least one of (20) chronic autoimmune or neurological disorders, AND are at risk of obesity and developmental delays.
We need to approach our national health as a whole, rather than as a series of separate factors. Wellness is the continuous state of enhanced well-being. Maintaining wellness and optimal health is a lifelong, daily commitment by each of us, every parent, and every caregiver in our nation.
The best way to maintain health is to preserve it through a healthful lifestyle rather than waiting until sickness or to address health problems. How do we live a healthy lifestyle here in the U.S.?
A Healthy Lifestyle is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease. Wellness for EVERYONE in America must include:
eating a balanced, nutritious diet from as many natural organic sources as possible
engaging in at least (150) minutes of moderate to high-intensity exercise each week
screening for diseases that may present a risk
learning to manage stress effectively
engaging in activities that provide purpose
connecting with and caring for other people
maintaining a positive outlook on life
defining a value system and putting it into action
Over the next few weeks, I will expound upon each of the astounding statistics mentioned earlier, and what you and I can do to turn each of these statistics around. Believe it or not, you don’t have to be a doctor to make a difference. Many times it’s just spreading the word, or setting an example, or even making a phone call to someone that will help make a change in their world.
As you dedicate yourself to educating this generation, you can affect positive health impacts, by helping to prevent a multitude of chronic illness, including PREVENTABLE diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
I’ll walk you through my purpose, and you are welcome to join me in making a huge difference in our children’s future and Making America HEALTHY again!
Please remember the (5) Essentials we talk about at Ferguson Life Health Centers…
MINDSET
Nerve Supply
Nutrition
Exercise
Minimizing Toxins
and follow along with me over the next few weeks, to discover what we can do for our children, families and communities to Make America Healthy Again!
Helping you find your personal, natural health and wellness plan for a Long Healthy Life is my priority. IT IS possible to live in harmony with your in-born wealth of health. Your built-in power is not only reassuring, but also worth preserving for years to come.