Are All of These Drugs Really Helping

Are All of These Drugs Really Helping?

Check out these statistics regarding prescription drug use in the U.S.:

• The U.S. makes up 5% of the worlds population yet we consume 75% of the world's prescription drugs.
• In 2010 enough prescription painkillers were prescribed to medicate every American adult every 4 hours for one month.
• Almost 70 percent of Americans take at least one prescription medication, and more than 50% take at least two.

Are These Drugs Helping Us Manage the Epidemic of Chronic Disease?

• The annual survey from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development shows that, as compared to the 11 other OECD countries, Americans are below average on most measures of health, from obesity to infant mortality.
• In 2014, 29.1 million people or 9.3% of the population of the U.S. had diabetes.
• 610,000 people die of heart disease in the U.S. every year. That's 1 in 4 deaths.
• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.
• More than one-third of US adults are obese. Obesity related illness includes heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.
• It is estimated that by 2020, over 50% of the US adult population will have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.

Are We Missing The Mark? (He asked sarcastically)

The answer to our epidemic of chronic disease can’t be found in a little amber bottle. We need to address the underlying causes of what makes us sick. Over the 6 million years that homonids were evolving there were evolutionary stressors that molded us into what we are. We can only thrive when we live in accordance with our genes. The body will break down when it’s not being used the way it was designed to be used. There’s no way around it.

According to the CDC, prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing drug problem in the U.S. Every 19 minutes someone dies of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs. And how many more people die because they’re given drugs that don’t get to the cause of their health issues??

Prescription medication has it's place...but for many health issues, making lifestyle changes is more effective than any medication. It works better and faster, and it's cheaper.

Don't assume that drugs are the answer to your health problems. Heart disease is not a statin deficiency. It's the result of your lifestyle interacting with your genes. If your doctor recommends a prescription drug to you, do your research first. Find out if making lifestyle changes could help you achieve the same goal. Talk it over with your doctor and discuss the possibility of taking a period of time to see if changes in your lifestyle could make the difference.

Eat real food

Manage your stress

Be a part of a community

Avoid pesticides and other chemicals

Exercise, even just a little bit, every day

If you have questions about exercise or nutrition, please call me anytime. We'll take a walk together and see what we can do about getting you off some of your medications, and on to the road back to real health. 

Warm Regards,

Dr. Russell Charno