Got a black eye last night playing hoops. It was awesome. I haven’t played basketball for a while, thanks to some back stinging and a little Achilles action. Think I’ve added a few pounds and certainly softened up in the musculoskeletal dept. But I’m back.
As a brand planner I’ve been thinking a lot lately about health, healthcare and the role of diet. At this point in time I believe that most Americans want to be healthier but they just don’t want to work at it. We are way too comfortable eating the wrong foods, in the wrong quantities and correcting those behaviors with pills, vitamins and unhealthy diets. (I wonder what would happen – and I’m not advocating it – if all Americans stopped taking their pills for a week.)
Fast food is convenient. Conveniently filled with fat, sugar and salt. Carrots and raw green beans are convenient. However they don’t taste as good as French fires. Or do they? Learned behavior.
The most important person in our government is Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human services. I also believe we can baby-step our way out of the health crisis (where 19% of the GDP goes to healthcare) if we educate children as to proper nutrition and eating habits. Might we replace a K12 course, say chemistry, with a full year of nutrition?
We can’t medicate our way out of poor health and we can’t treat our way out of poor health – we can educate ourselves toward proper wellness. There will be tons of lobbyists against this approach but that’s okay. This is America. Peace!