Comments on: We Like Drugs - Fair and Balanced http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/ Serving up health and fitness insights (daily, of course) with a side of irreverence. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:38:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ankoku-jin http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-50459 Ankoku-jin Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:52:13 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-50459 I've been on both sides of this one -- I'd be dead 5 times over if it weren't for modern drugs. On the other hand, I wouldn't have half the problems I have now if doctors hadn't also handed me far more antibiotics, NSAIDs, steroids and other drugs than I really needed throughout my life. The result? Significant damage to my gut, liver and immune system, leaving me constantly fatigued, sick, and allergy-ridden. Thankfully I found a doctor willing to wean me off all the pharmaceuticals and help me make the lifestyle changes to restore my health; it hasn't been easy, but it's been worth it! Even with my bad experience, I don't completely rule out the use of medication -- but I consider the usage very carefully and do everything I can to minimize the risks. I’ve been on both sides of this one — I’d be dead 5 times over if it weren’t for modern drugs. On the other hand, I wouldn’t have half the problems I have now if doctors hadn’t also handed me far more antibiotics, NSAIDs, steroids and other drugs than I really needed throughout my life. The result? Significant damage to my gut, liver and immune system, leaving me constantly fatigued, sick, and allergy-ridden.

Thankfully I found a doctor willing to wean me off all the pharmaceuticals and help me make the lifestyle changes to restore my health; it hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it!

Even with my bad experience, I don’t completely rule out the use of medication — but I consider the usage very carefully and do everything I can to minimize the risks.

]]> By: markus http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-50125 markus Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:43:31 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-50125 "Lifestyle change" is predominantly a problem of poor and confusing education. 40 odd years of the anti sat fat campaign has shown how the food industry and dietary habits can be changed through campaigning against "unhealthy foods" the problem is not the effectiveness of nutritional education, the problem is incorrect and poor education. the fact is, because health authorities have been fundamentally wrong, and recommended a diet that exacerbated the problem - noone is sure what is healthy and are put off the low carb route. the lack of confidence in dietary advice and the proliferation of junk science has degrade dietetics. most dieticians are resigned to medicalising bad dietary consequences because they know the advice doesn't work - they think it's because people are weak and stupid. i'd place that accusation on the doorstep of modern dietary orthodoxy. until authorities recognise the "grand mistake", and rectify and unify advice, all attempt to change lifestyle on a general scale is futile. and drug companies are the vultures that will exploit the opportunity for gain. we know what the causes of the "diseases of civilization" are. but it needs an official consensus and another 40 years of redressing the sins of our fathers to make "lifestyle change" a viable treatment for the majority of sick westerners. “Lifestyle change” is predominantly a problem of poor and confusing education. 40 odd years of the anti sat fat campaign has shown how the food industry and dietary habits can be changed through campaigning against “unhealthy foods”

the problem is not the effectiveness of nutritional education, the problem is incorrect and poor education. the fact is, because health authorities have been fundamentally wrong, and recommended a diet that exacerbated the problem - noone is sure what is healthy and are put off the low carb route. the lack of confidence in dietary advice and the proliferation of junk science has degrade dietetics.

most dieticians are resigned to medicalising bad dietary consequences because they know the advice doesn’t work - they think it’s because people are weak and stupid. i’d place that accusation on the doorstep of modern dietary orthodoxy.

until authorities recognise the “grand mistake”, and rectify and unify advice, all attempt to change lifestyle on a general scale is futile. and drug companies are the vultures that will exploit the opportunity for gain.

we know what the causes of the “diseases of civilization” are. but it needs an official consensus and another 40 years of redressing the sins of our fathers to make “lifestyle change” a viable treatment for the majority of sick westerners.

]]> By: Nancy S http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-50027 Nancy S Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:50:42 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-50027 There is no money in lifestyle change. There is money in drugs. I don't think many dr's are intentional about this, emphasizing the scrip more than the lifestyle change needed. It would help too if other people (ie friends, family) were more supportive of lifestyle change instead of either making it harder for that person or blowing it off like they are making too big a deal. It's just the mentality, why do things the hard way when you can do the easy way. I am currently being tested for celiac disease. If I do have it (or even "just" a gluten intolerance), then the ONLY option is lifestyle change. And I believe that the reason there aren't better tests for celiac is that there just isn't any money to be made for the companies that would fund the research. There is no money in lifestyle change. There is money in drugs. I don’t think many dr’s are intentional about this, emphasizing the scrip more than the lifestyle change needed. It would help too if other people (ie friends, family) were more supportive of lifestyle change instead of either making it harder for that person or blowing it off like they are making too big a deal. It’s just the mentality, why do things the hard way when you can do the easy way.

I am currently being tested for celiac disease. If I do have it (or even “just” a gluten intolerance), then the ONLY option is lifestyle change. And I believe that the reason there aren’t better tests for celiac is that there just isn’t any money to be made for the companies that would fund the research.

]]> By: Brad Baggett http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-49926 Brad Baggett Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:33:36 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-49926 Interesting points. I think that drugs are essential in emergency medicine and for treatment of pain for terminally ill case, but other than that I think what we put into our bodies and how we feed our bodies eliminates the need for them. I have written countless articles about the importance of organic foods and nutrition that have literally changed my family’s lives. We rarely even use aspirin anymore! http://juiceofchampions.com/home/eliminate-chemicals-eat-organic Interesting points. I think that drugs are essential in emergency medicine and for treatment of pain for terminally ill case, but other than that I think what we put into our bodies and how we feed our bodies eliminates the need for them. I have written countless articles about the importance of organic foods and nutrition that have literally changed my family’s lives. We rarely even use aspirin anymore!

http://juiceofchampions.com/home/eliminate-chemicals-eat-organic

]]> By: chainey http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-49824 chainey Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:26:06 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-49824 The insurance question is interesting. For a single person with no health problems it may be worth putting aside the amount you would have paid in insurance into savings and paying cash for your healthcare. Or go a for "catastrophic" policy that only covers the big ticket stuff. For any kind of insurance the responsible subsidize the reckless. Americans can think themselves lucky. In NZ, where I live, we pay for a third-rate state health system whether we use it or not (I don't), then we pay on top for private-tier care by cash or insurance. There's no rebate on taxes. And there's even less incentive for most people to mind their health (healthcare is "free"). Unbelievably, people will die on waiting lists, or wait for months in great pain rather than raise a loan against their house. There's nowt as queer as folks. The insurance question is interesting. For a single person with no health problems it may be worth putting aside the amount you would have paid in insurance into savings and paying cash for your healthcare. Or go a for “catastrophic” policy that only covers the big ticket stuff.

For any kind of insurance the responsible subsidize the reckless.

Americans can think themselves lucky. In NZ, where I live, we pay for a third-rate state health system whether we use it or not (I don’t), then we pay on top for private-tier care by cash or insurance. There’s no rebate on taxes. And there’s even less incentive for most people to mind their health (healthcare is “free”).

Unbelievably, people will die on waiting lists, or wait for months in great pain rather than raise a loan against their house.

There’s nowt as queer as folks.

]]> By: Sasquatch http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-49784 Sasquatch Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:05:27 +0000 http://www.marksdailyapple.com/we-like-drugs-fair-and-balanced/#comment-49784 The problem is that everyone pays for people who don't want to make lifestyle changes. We pay for those people through our insurance. It's going to be an increasing burden as medicine continues to become more sophisticated and expensive. I'm basically pumping dough into other peoples' pockets right now, because I have no health problems. I'm subsidizing the health problems of others. I'm OK with helping people out a bit, but it's important to understand that people who take the easy way out hurt us all. The problem is that everyone pays for people who don’t want to make lifestyle changes. We pay for those people through our insurance. It’s going to be an increasing burden as medicine continues to become more sophisticated and expensive.

I’m basically pumping dough into other peoples’ pockets right now, because I have no health problems. I’m subsidizing the health problems of others. I’m OK with helping people out a bit, but it’s important to understand that people who take the easy way out hurt us all.

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