Let’s treat our bodies as we do our teeth

Full disclosure: I am not a doctor, nor a medical expert of any kind. I am a healthy, 76-year-old who had cancer in 1999, fully recovered, and then decided to change the way I ate and lived in order to focus on wellness in my life.

My doctor (yes, I’m fortunate to have one) is the expert I consult, but I am the one who must choose to be well and act accordingly. For over 20 years, this is a strategy that has worked well. I am 5’4”, 120 lbs, I walk 10 kilometres a day, I stay active mentally and physically, and do not take any medications. It is on this basis, and this alone, that I offer the following comments.

I’d suggest (somewhat tongue in cheek) that the first step in Premier Tim Houston’s plan to solve our medical services crisis might be to enact a name change for the Department of Health and Wellness. The name that would be most accurate would be: The Department of Illness and Trauma Intervention … DITI. Why? Because, unless I’m mistaken, there is little serious government attention currently being given to the actual health and wellness of Nova Scotians.

Very few people, if any, go to a doctor or a hospital, (even one euphemistically called a health care centre), to find out how to live a healthier life. We head off to the doctor or hospital only when we have an injury or a medical problem. Injury and illness intervention is reactive. Wellness intervention is proactive. Both are badly needed if the short and long-term medical solutions of this province are to be achieved.

Right now, mind-boggling gazillions of dollars are needed in order to solve the present crisis. No one, certainly not I, would ever argue against that. But if there are no focused strategies in place to address the declining state of our health in Nova Scotia to accompany this new plan, that money is being poured into an increasingly leaky bucket.

Studies have shown time and again that many (some studies would even argue most) of the diseases and illnesses of our modern society are caused and/or worsened by poor lifestyle habits. Children, at an increasingly early age, are suffering from ailments that can be directly linked to the low-nutrient fast food and junk food they eat, as well as their lack of physical activity. Adults are being treated in alarming numbers for high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and a host of other illnesses. These ailments can usually be temporarily held at bay by taking significant amounts of prescription drugs, but few are actually cured by these medications.

Yet almost all of these diseases, plus many cancers, can be traced back to lifestyle choices. Without a change in those choices, eventually there will not be enough money on this planet to keep up with the medical needs of our province. You could funnel all the money from education, housing, culture, roads, etc., into this crisis and it would still not be enough.

But imagine, just for one moment, the difference it would make if a third, or even a quarter, of the medical interventions needed could be eliminated. Imagine if we were motivated to take responsibility for our own wellness rather than expecting the medical profession to fix us after we become sick? The positive impacts on our society would be breathtaking.

Let’s not fool ourselves; illness and trauma intervention will always be needed. Doctors and hospitals will never go out of business, nor should that be the goal. But substantially improving our health and wellness would very quickly yield almost miraculous results, not only by improving our quality of life, but also our economy.

It’s not enough, however, for the government to utter a few trite platitudes. Giving lip service to the need for changes in the way we live won’t work. If the new government is committed to “fixing” the current crisis, it must also look further down the pathway at the same time. Serious public education campaigns are needed, plus practical incentives and support for families so they can afford betterquality food.

Partnering with the Dal medical school should be pursued to ensure medical students are better educated on wellness strategies for patients, not just reaction to illness. Policy strategies, with a properly funded execution plan, should be put in place. These are just a few of the things that could be part of a long-term plan to make “Health and Wellness” more than just an empty term.

Why not take a leaf from the dental profession’s playbook? Years ago, most dental care consisted of having your teeth removed when they decayed and caused a problem. Not anymore. After decades of implementing excellent, proactive dental care strategies, children at a very young age learn and practise good dental habits in their home. They regularly go for their checkups with the dental hygienist and are proud when told they have no cavities.

Why not use a similar approach with overall health habits? There’s a lot at stake for the long-term health of our children and grandchildren if this part is missing from any plan the Houston government puts in place. Let’s not make the same mistake with our health and wellness that we seem to have made regarding climate change — i.e., too little, too late.

Think of it like being at sea in a leaky boat. The immediate crisis requires that bailing out the rising water must be the priority while we head back to shore. But if the holes in the boat don’t get repaired, and are growing larger, no amount of bailing will ever keep the boat from eventually sinking.

Let’s wake up now, and act before it’s too late.