I was happy to hear President Obama articulate the fiscal progressive path for moving forward today. I'm thinking that if we don't deviate too far from what he proposed we will get our fiscal house in order. None of us want to see cuts to programs for the most vulnerable in our society. But there are other possibilities for great savings and we can all be a part of making these cuts which will not only benefit our long term fiscal situation but benefit the health and well being of our population as well.
Mark Bittman talks about the incredibly high cost of lifestyle diseases and how much they contribute to our fiscal instability.
For the first time in history, lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease, some cancers and others kill more people than communicable ones. Treating these diseases — and futile attempts to “cure” them — costs a fortune, more than one-seventh of our GDP.
The treatment of these diseases costs us about 2.3 trillion annually now, stunning!
The American Heart Association concurs stating that:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and is responsible for 17% of national health expenditures. As the population ages, these costs are expected to increase substantially.
The Federal Government absorbs at least 60% of the cost for this treatment. We can save some of that money, though, if an alliance of insurers, government, individuals — maybe even Big Food, if it’s pushed hard enough — moves us towards better eating.
According to The Committee for Responsible Medicine Heart disease, diabetes, stokes and many cancers can be prevented or reversed by changes to diet. And it is becoming standard treatment to prescribe a low fat vegetarian or vegan diet to treat and prevent these diseases.
We've all followed the progress of President Bill Clinton and his challenge with Heart Disease. Here he is talking about his move to a vegan diet.
Not only would a change in diet benefit our economy and our health it is the single most effective way to reduce your carbon footprint
Food is at the nexus of health care, the economy, energy independence and climate change. It is a way we can all contribute to solving these problems which have now become at the level of crisis. It's as simple as moving to a less meat and less meat product diet.
For support and recipes check out Macca's Meatless Monday for almost three years of Meatless Monday recipes! Also see our Meatless Advocates group for information regarding the benefits of a less meat diet.