Birmingham, Alabama, nor the United States cannot financially afford the recommendations in a new policy statement from the American Heart Association published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association on July 25,2011.
The recommendations are based on a decrease in heart disease tracked from the 1960’s up to 2010. There had been a discernible decrease in heart related disease over this period of time. No mention of advances in heart disease treatment, drugs for heart disease, or any other scientific advance in heart disease treatment is noted as a cause of this decrease in this policy statement.
The policy statement claims to place responsibility on individuals, society, and governments but it actually makes government responsible for enforcing good health on the taxpayer using taxpayer money.
Some of the recommendations are:
- Schools include quality physical education and opportunities for physical activity in the curriculum every day.
- School lunches include more fresh vegetables and fruits and less salt and sugar.
- Communities are built with exercise in mind and include sidewalks and bike trails.
- Less added sugars, salt and trans fats are included in foods.
- Neighborhood stores - particularly those in lower income areas - carry affordable, fresh vegetables and fruits.
- Smoking isn't allowed in restaurants, the workplace and other indoor spaces.
- Additional taxes are added to tobacco products to further discourage use.
- Smoking cessation programs are adequately funded.
- Increased funding is directed toward programs that eliminate health disparities.
Birmingham is about to declare bankruptcy on Thursday, July 28, 2011, and can afford to do none of this. The United States federal government is on the verge of financial collapse and can afford to do none of this.
One statement by one of the authors typifies delusional thinking "People often don't realize the power to stay healthy is in their own hands," said William S. Weintraub, M.D., lead author of the statement and the John H. Ammon chair of cardiology and cardiology section chief at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Del. "But it's not something many individuals or families can do alone. It takes fundamental changes from society as a whole."
It does not take a village or a government to take care of your own health.
A person is in control of their health by their own decisions.
There are more than enough heart disease, anti-smoking, and obesity (and related disease) prevention programs in Alabama now that are underutilized because the individual will not use them.
No one is responsible for anyone’s health choices if they are not your child and under 18 years of age.
No one forces me to get up any run every day. If any government tried to I would refuse.
No one makes me consume a healthy diet. I make that choice.
Anything placed in the hands of government of any ilk is destined to be a financial failure and produce the wrong results.
The policy statement was reviewed at the Eureka Alert web site on July 25, 2011.
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