Yup. That's what this country needs. More drugs!
At least according to an article off the Associated Press this morning: More Young Adults on Cholestoral Drugs.
You know WHY more young adults are on these drugs? You know why there is a greater incidence of obesity and high blood pressure?
Let's examine the recommended lifestyle to be able to stay off the cholesterol drugs. Eat right, exercise, and lose weight. Sounds simple, but when the average American has to work 2-3 jobs to keep his head above water, runs through the McDonald's drive-thru and eats in the car along the way, it makes it a little difficult. Or when a full-time job means 60 hours a week instead of 40? Where do you find time to exercise and cook even one healthy meal when you can't even find the time for a full night's rest? Now, add a spouse, kids, a house, and all the other responsibilities of life on top of that.
What do you mean you don't have time to go to the gym? What do you mean your "too tired"? What do you mean you can't go to the store to select lean cuts of meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, and create a healthy meal? It's easy! If it's REALLY important to you, you'll MAKE the time!
How's about instead of curing our cholesterol with pills, we examine the American lifestyle? But it's a nasty, vicious cycle. If you tell your boss to go get bent, you're only working 40 hours a week, you'll get fired. If you decide to work one job instead of three, you'll lose your home. If don't have a full-time job, you won't be able to afford health insurance. If all you can afford is the 79 cent box of mac and cheese and not the $3 head of lettuce, guess how healthy you're going to eat?
How do you fix it? Just take a pill. Every day of your life.
But in order to HAVE that pill, you have to have a job... or several. The job, and the unhealthy lifestyle mandated by having that job, leads to the high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which leads to needing the medication, which leads to having to keep the job to afford the medication, which leads to pharmacuetical companies smiling all the way to the bank.
Grump.
I've got other things to write about -- boy, DO I -- expect more blogging very, very soon.
Next up -- my rant on the TSA.
2 comments:
Very well said. You know who's really to blame for all this?
George W. Bush!
Seriously, our society has become pill-happy. So pill-happy that pharmaceutical companies invent diseases so they can pedal their drugs.
I find all the new diseases that have been "discovered" in the past 15 years morbidly interesting. Even more interesting is that they're first brought to the public's attention in a commercial, paid for by a pharmaceutical company, who has the solution. In a nice little pill you take daily. "If you have these symptoms, you have this disease. But Pfizer can control your symptoms of this new disease..."
A few of my favorites:
1. Pre-menstrual stress disorder (not to be confused with PMS because there's already a pill you take for that)
2. Post-menstrual depression (not to be confused with pre-menstrual stress disorder because that's a different disease that requires a different pill)
3. Post-menstrual stress disorder (not to be confused with any of the above-again, different diseases)
4. ADHD (because a convenient little pill will do what a parent should be doing in the first place)
And my all-time favorite??
5. Post-abortion stress disorder!
I shit you not. Taking a daily pill for 15-20 years will help a woman deal with the psychological aftermath of having an abortion.
And people wonder why my attitude sucks goats asses.
I've got a new one for you:
Post-Bush Stress Disorder
Directions: Drink to the bottom of a bottle of Jack Daniels every day for the next 15-20 years to deal with the psychological, emotional and financial aftermath of having Dubya as president.
Your attitude doesn't suck goat's asses. It's the dimwits that suck goat's asses that gives you the attitude.
Right there with ya, Marie.
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