By ALLAN DOBZYNIAK, MD
We are developing new technological gimmicks to measure every activity throughout our day, blood pressure (BP), pulse (P), respirations, stairs climbed, walking time, calorie burn, sleep time, and on and on. Soon we will be device-covered from head to toe. To what end? There are shelves upon shelves of magical elixirs and pills to cure any symptom, prevent aging and definitely improve on God’s or nature’s original design. Can you imagine the size of the bag necessary to carry all of these magical medicinals?
Our health care providers are obsessing over preventive care, with hardly time anymore to treat sick people. Our government is determined to turn primary care into a lecture series on what is politically intuitive rather than scientifically based. Our elected and appointed officials are certain that the effort at demanding “good” personal behavior—as defined by bureaucrats, lobbyists for “healthy stuff,” global warming fanatics—will improve outcomes. I am never sure what “improved outcomes” means; does anybody, really? Of course, we must race forward to legalize pot, never wasting another opportunity to tax something else.
I know I am going way out on a limb here, but perhaps the path to good health and the best outcome for each unique individual is certainly not just doing what we feel like, and may include a helpful touch of personal responsibility. Exercise takes some effort and smoking is bad. Maybe, just maybe, a bit of moderation and a dose of common sense could be the ticket here.