The Health Care Crisis - and a Solution

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We are presently facing a health care crisis that is getting more dire every day. Health care costs are increasing so rapidly that many companies who offered free health insurance to their employees are now passing a lot of the high cost on to their employees. Other employers are dropping their health care plans altogether because they have become too expensive. Millions do not have health insurance because they can't afford the premiums.

There are many reasons that this situation is escalating out of control.

One reason is that the primary emphasis is on treatment of the symptoms of disease. There is too little emphasis on prevention of disease.

Most people don't take care of themselves well enough, partially due to insufficient knowledge on how to prevent disease. Many people tend to eat too much and exercise too little. Many others have habits which impact their health, such as alcohol or tobacco.

We have an aging population. We live longer, but require more health care to accomplish that, partially due to insufficient attention to our health in earlier years.

Health care insurance encourages people to neglect their health because they think they can rely on a quick fix when they need it.

Medical choices are often made by others in the name of the patient, rather than the patient being involved in the financial and medical choices.

Many insured patients tend to overuse medical resources since those resources appear to be free or almost free, masked by the cost of the insurance.

What is the solution to this ever-expanding problem? How do we bring health care costs under control and make a better life for people?

There are many facets to the solution, but the most important part is disease prevention. Many of the nation's biggest health problems can be prevented with proper knowledge and proper habits.

The emphasis for health care needs to be shifted from treating disease to prevention of disease. We need to stop disease before it manifests. This will not eliminate the need to cure disease, but it can diminish that need significantly. One very important by-product of this is a healthier population.

Now that we know the solution, how do we implement it?

It is implemented through proper health education. The knowledge of how to prevent disease has existed for thousands of years. The knowledge has been largely ignored, to our detriment. People got used to the idea of taking pills to treat the symptoms of disease rather than taking proper actions to prevent disease in the first place. This fostered bad habits and people increasingly lost the inner knowledge of what was good for their health and what was bad for their health. People began to crave junk food and a sedentary lifestyle - the opposite of what was good for their health.

How do we gain the proper health education and restore the inner knowledge to help guide our journey to better health? Ayurveda, the science of life, provides a wealth of information for restoring better health and balance to our systems. You can get more information on health at http://www.mindxpansion.com/health/. You can also check the balance of your own system or get a comprehensive Ayurvedic Analysis at http://www.mindxpansion.com/ayurvedic/. The solution to this momentous problem lies in the hands of each one of us. Start doing your part today and you will reap the benefits for many years to come.

Preventing Childhood Obesity Begins in Physical Education Class

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Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic that can threaten the health and life span of the world. Obesity is on the rise due to the lack of activity children have since schools are decreasing physical education classes.
Diagnosing obesity in children is different than in adults they use your body mass index (BMI). In children there are several factors in determining obesity. In children they measure your skin fold thickness, height and weight and their BMI. In children if there BMI is above the 95th percentile they are considered obese. Type 2 diabetes is rising...scientist...call this a major public health crisis. Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in children has increased from less than 5% before 1994 to 30% and 50% in more recent years.
Childhood obesity is not only predisposing kids for health risks but mental and social complications as well. Obese children are at risk for diseases such as hypertension, type II diabetes, and coronary heart disease. Once considered rare conditions in children, these diseases are seen with increasing frequency by pediatricians. With this rise of adult diseases in children it is decreasing the life expectancy of the next generation. With the rise of these diseases heath care costs will increase as well. This is an alarming rate because it can cause financial restraints on families who do not have access to health care. Families with limited access to health care will delay seeking treatment and will in turn have greater complications.
Children and adolescents aged 10-17 from families with an income below the poverty line were 74% more likely to be overweight or obese than those from families with a household income at 400% above the poverty line. Simply put, teachers need to address these issues within health education lessons [http://www.physical-education-lessons.com/category/health-education-lessons]. Other concerns with the rise in child hood obesity are children from families where the parents are always working and they are left home alone and depending on the neighborhood they live in it is not safe for them to play outside.
Another contributor to the rise in obesity is the food choices offered to school aged children. School lunches today are not filled with the essential vitamins and minerals children need to consume everyday and lunches contain almost two thousand calories in one serving. Vending machines are all around school buildings and they are filled with soft drinks other unhealthy foods. In our society children are consuming fewer amounts of fruits and vegetables and reaching for chips and soda. Vending machines are mainly filled with unhealthy foods so it makes it easier for kids to keep on getting bigger in size.
School lunch periods are decreasing in time due to academic requirements which makes it convenient for the child to consume food from the vending machine then eating a real lunch meal. Some schools have banned vending machines from schools or have set certain times for when students can use the vending machine. Preventive measures put in place by physical education teachers and health education teachers are helping students and parents fight the epidemic of childhood obesity.

Nicholas Cuttonaro is a Physical Education and Health Teacher from New York. He operates Physical-Education-Lessons.com which offers free tips and guides for teachers. Check out his other health education lessons [http://www.physical-education-lessons.com/category/health-education-lessons] to educate teachers and parents on his website.

Taking Control of Your Health & Well-Being

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Do you ever wonder why, in spite of all your good intentions, you just cannot seem to take control over your health and wellness the way you really want to? The answer to that question can be found in the words of Albert Einstein, who reminded us "you cannot correct a problem with the same thinking that created it". In other words, you cannot change old behaviors without new information.

The Institute of Medicine recently published a study that indicates ninety million Americans are "health illiterate", which means we do not know how to interpret or use health information to control or improve our health, or prevent chronic disease. Data compiled previously identified, "lack of information as the number one root cause of death". Understanding that there exists a cause and effect relationship between what we know and how we behave, we need a model of integrating this important information to change the behaviors that lead to chronic disease. According to a 7-year, 1996, Harvard Medical School study, approximately 70% of all cancers are preventable through lifestyle changes. Furthermore, our diseases and conditions are primarily a result of stress, food, environment, attitude, emotions or beliefs that keep us in behaviors that lead to illness. Which invites the question, are we consciously choosing to be unhealthy, or do we just not understand sufficiently the relationship between what we think, how we behave, what we put into our bodies and how we keep ourselves well or make ourselves sick?

In a world exploding with health information, especially on the internet, we are caught in the dilemma of having abundant amounts of information, without a context through which we can understand and utilize this information in a way that is appropriate for our own unique personal health needs. There is, however, good news - making its way into the mainstream of health care is an integrated model of health information and education that provides a "whole picture of health" perspective, allowing each of us to discern and create our own unique approach to taking charge of our health and well-being. Whole Health Education, developed over the past 28 years, in cooperation with Boston physicians, nurses and educators, is an approach to understanding the cause and effect our behaviors and choices have on our state of health. Demystifying the five major factors that influence how sick or well we become, Whole Health Education provides a perspective on human anatomy and physiology, bio-chemistry, psycho-social, environmental and spiritual aspects which allows for an authentic understanding of what we need know to resolve chronic health problems or to stay healthy. Integrating evidence-based information with the wisdom of various spiritual teachings and a whole-person overview of behavioral options, Whole Health Education offers each of us a tool for personal health management by providing personalized health information that explains the physical, emotional, nutritional, environmental and spiritual aspects of a health concern.

For example, Mature Onset Diabetes affects approximately 18.2 million Americans and is the leading health concern in our culture today. As all chronic conditions are, Mature Onset Diabetes is a multi-dimensional disease state and the unique Whole Health perspective, can facilitate the restoration of health for those with chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Physical/Structural

What happens on a physical and structural level with Mature Onset Diabetes? The specialized beta cells of the pancreas, which produce insulin, become incapable of producing adequate amounts of the critically necessary secretion. This happens over a period of years and can begin in our bodies, over time, by eating large amounts of insulin-provoking foods. These insulin provocateurs, which are sugars and starches in the form of complex carbohydrates, require the pancreas to produce more insulin so that the sugars can be carried over the cell membranes to all parts of the body. Serious disturbances occur when we do not have enough insulin to carry the sugar over the cell membranes. Insulin hooks onto the sugar molecule and acts like a lock and key mechanism to bring that sugar into the cell which is then used in the energy cycle of cell metabolism. The nervous system, brain and the lungs cannot function without the proper metabolism of sugars.

Emotional/Social

Just as diabetes is a lack of nourishment on a chemical/nutritional level, so is it a lack of emotional nourishment on an emotional/mental level. It relates to the "feel good" nourishment component of your body. What do we know about carbohydrates and serotonin? Carbohydrates provoke the production of serotonin. Serotonin is a neuro-transmitter that produces a feeling of well-being. There is a direct relationship between what our body is doing chemically and how we feel emotionally. When we crave or build our diet around carbohydrates, this can be a way of "self-medicating" our emotional needs by eating carbohydrates to provoke insulin production.

Books on Mental Health - Education is Key to a Better Tomorrow

Mental health is a major issue in the world today. There are numerous articles and books on mental health that have been written in the aim of assisting people to overcoming these types of health issues. But how effective is just read books about mental health going to be to the reader? That depends on many factors of course.

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In the news:
In a recent study, 1 out of every 5 people wrestle with some form of mental illness. Some cases are severe while others go unnoticed. If those stats are true, and this percentage of people do struggle in some way with mental illness, then what can one do to help his mental state? Seeing as the majority of the population is not at risk, then I propose that by simply educating oneself by reading books about mental issues can be of great assistance to the overall population.
I am not at risk:
For example, if I do not consider myself at risk for these health issues, then maybe I can gain some knowledge on the topic and help someone close to me that I know. Even more, I could help another person who I don't even know just by reading books about mental health so I know "what to say" and "how to say it" when given the opportunity.
Mental health issues are all around us, and like all other things, education is a key fundamental to knowing how to handle these issues. If you or someone you know is having difficulty in this area of life, don't you owe it to the both of you to educate yourself?

If you would like information on the books about mental health we have to offer, then I invite you to click on this link to learn more!
Information on Books on Mental Health [http://www.thereviewjunkie.com/books-on-mental-health-journey-to-a-better-tomorrow/] and

The Anatomy Of A Natural Health Education

The Clayton College of Natural Health is a distance education instituted devoted to helping people gain accreditation in various realms of health related fields. Some individuals benefit from taking distance education courses from this institution but others may not be suited for such a program. Following is some information about the Clayton College of Natural Health for you to consider.

First of all you want to think about your specific goals. You may find that you are heading down a career path that requires you to become very familiar with holistic nutrition, traditional naturopathy or natural health. These are the only subjects that degree programs fall under at the Clayton College of Natural Health.

Other programs offer certificates for subjects like herbal studies, iridology studies, healthcare professional studies and companion animal studies. There is no degree earned though these four subjects and I’m not quite sure how a certificate from any of those subjects could be used.

Some of the information offered by the Clayton College of Natural Health is a little unfamiliar to most. If you want to earn a degree in traditional naturopathy it would be best to look into the field a little before signing up for any classes. You may find that you are really interested in taking a holistic approach to your health studies.

There are some concerns about taking classes for accreditation at a distance education institution like the Clayton College of Natural Health. Since this seems to fall into the realm of medicine in a holistic kind of way it is certain that some may find the programs to be a little too unscientific for many healthcare professionals.

Consider where you will be employed in the future. If your goal is to work as a nutritionist for a large hospital you may want to forgo the Clayton College of Natural Health as an educational option. However, if you want to start a health and wellness consultation business you might be attracted to the degrees and certificates that the Clayton College of Natural Health has to offer.

The alternative health field is not for everyone. Many people prefer taking the traditional route to healthcare and nutrition [http://www.total-beauty-guide.com]. However, many others are drawn to alternative medicine as well. It is important to note that not everyone recognizes the Clayton College of Natural Medicine as a means of valid accreditation. You may want to conduct a little research before filling out an application.

Health Education Plan

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You need to put your health first yet so many of us will leave our health at the bottom of the priority list, leaving it unattended until it gets to late and we fall into ill health.
We seem to take health for granted and that makes us feel invincible up to the point that our health fails and then we look at our health. This attitude is clearly wrong and it is up to you to take preventative action with your health and this will not only make you feel better and more energetic, you will also have your body literally thanking you and add years to your life.
The western culture, in particular the US and the UK are getting fatter and becoming overweight and obese. As a result of this more people are trying to slim down and lose some weight but the problem here is a lot of people are not trying to lose weight for the right reasons. Losing weight should be because you want to do it for yourself and not for any other reason such as your boyfriend / husband wants you to lose weight. The motivation needs to come from within for you to successfully lose and keep off the weight. How many times do people lose several pounds in weight only to put it back on within a few months.
It really is important that you "love yourself" before you decide to embark on losing the weight. Irrespective of your size now you must have the self belief and confidence in yourself that you not only look and feel good now but you are going to look and feel great after you start your new lifestyle choice, yes lifestyle choice and not a diet. It is so important that you incorporate your healthy living lifestyle into a way of life rather then having the mentality of doing a diet otherwise you are unfortunately more likely to fail.
Good luck in your lifestyle change and well done to making the decision to change.

Richard has been writing health related articles now for 4 years.  He not only specialises in health but he also has a website on skin fungus that looks into athletes foot cures to help people remove these horrible infections.

How Health Educators Can Save Insurance Companies Millions

To be a health educator is to prevent disease and promote good health. As a health educator, one plays a critical role in encouraging a healthy lifestyle by providing information regarding various health issues.

We have all heard the expression "prevention is the best medicine". Hence, prevention is the main goal of all health educators by suppressing illness and disease through education on nutrition, exercise or personal behaviors.

In today's economy, the cost of our health insurance premiums is playing havoc with our paychecks. Therefore it is imperative that one maintains good health through a proper diet and exercise plan in order to defray health care costs. As Americans we have no control over our health insurance premiums, hence maintaining a healthy lifestyle in order to reduce our need for health care is the only answer. Because of the high cost of healthcare today, it is even more important for health educators to be involved within their communities teaching its citizens to lead healthier lifestyles.

By teaching the importance of living a healthier lifestyle, one can hopefully defray medical costs by not needing the services of a health care professional. It is important for us, especially in this day and age to encourage younger generations to lead a healthier lifestyle. News reports are now stating that children are growing unhealthier by the minute and will not outlive their parents. It is important for us in the education system to remember this and to get involved in helping these children as to work hard for future generations.