Number 1 Killer In The World: Crime? Bird Flu? Nope - YOU

The Hidden Killer
Throughout the world, from the richest spots in the United States to the poorest areas in Haiti, there is a killer that causes more deaths than any other individual or conflict.

It's you...or to be more precise, its your health.

We worry so much about poverty, crime, and other social issues, that we often forget the number one killer in the world -- our health. Heart disease, cancer, and other ailments are the leading killers of mankind. This CNN article entitled, "Heart disease still the most likely reason you'll die", reminds us that the worst enemy of man is man itself and the choices he makes.

Evaluate Your Thoughts On Health
I consider my relationship with God and my family as my number one concern. But a close third is my health. Here's are some honest questions that I ask myself and it helps me define my choices. Perhaps you could use it as well to do a self evaluation.

1. What's the financial impact of bad habits and to my family's finances?
   
2. How can I provide for my family if I'm sick or can't work?
   
3. What sort of role model am I to my family if I'm overweight?
   
4. What sort of role model am I to my family if I'm smoking?
   
5. What sort of role model am I to my family if I'm drunk all the time?
   
6. What sort of role model am I to my family if I'm doing drugs?
   
7. How would people remember me if I passed away? Would they say nice things in the funeral but in their minds, "Yeah he died because he was dumb about his diet."
   
8. Am I influencing my friends to copy my bad habits?
   
9. At the end of the day, did I make my world a better place?
   

Many Diseases Are Preventable (ie: stop smoking)
Heart disease is deadly but also preventable. Cancer is deadly but also preventable. For instance, smoking affects both your heart, your brain, and it increases your cancer risk. To avoid the potential diseases, get rid of the habit. I know its harder said than done -- but you have to stop letting tobacco companies control you. You are killing yourself and feeding their bottom line.



Exercise Isn't Hard -- Just Walk
Physical therapists, sports medicine doctors, and alike are stating that the best exercise is brisk walking (speed walking).

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, "Walking, among the easiest and lowest impact activities a person can do, was proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 40 percent, even in very moderate and achievable amounts."

The health care debate: an angle not mentioned

The United States, no doubt, is the most powerful country in the world. But when it comes to managing our health care costs and ensuring health care access to citizens, we are one of the worst. Did you know that our health care spending is 4.3 times the amount spent on national defense? (source: NCHC)

As I'm watching presidential hopefuls debate over health care costs on national television, I'm astounded that there is a lack of effort, a lack of recognition on why our health care costs are so high.

Let me introduce a new catch phrase on this debate: personal responsibility.

Ah, yes, that word that seems to strike at the very core of our society. This is where we take responsibility of our own actions rather than blame it on others. We are all guilty of straying away from this principle because it tends to hurt the ego. But the truth is, a lot of our health care costs are due to the lack of personal responsibility, specifically the personal lifestyles we choose that hurts the entire nation.

Here's some examples:

• In a 1998 analysis by health economists of the University of California, cigarette smoking costs about $72.7 billion a year.
  
• According to a CDC report, being overweight and being obese costs us roughly $92.6 billion in 2002 dollars.
  
• According to the Marin Institute, total cost of alcohol problems is $175.9 billion a year.
  
• According to the same site, $114.2 billion a year is spent for drug abuse problems.
  

What I just posted are just some glaring examples of how the lack of personal responsibility equates to higher health care costs. In short, one of the main reasons health insurance costs are so high is that we abuse our own bodies. We don't sleep right, we don't eat right, we drink too much alcohol and not enough water,, we don't exercise, and we abuse substances that we know are bad for our bodies. We then turn around to our politicians and say, when we get sick because of these actions, I want you to pay for it.

So now that we understand the lack of personal responsibility as a major cause of rising health care costs: how do we fix this problem?