We all know what healthy living tips we’re supposed to follow: they involve vegetables, whole foods, moderate activity, and giving up those things we know we ought, like tobacco and processed foods.  Yet in the U.S., billions of dollars are spent annually to treat preventable illness, like those associated with obesity and illnesses resulting from tobacco use (www.preventdisease.com/worksite_wellness/health_stats.shtml).   

 

Maybe it’s a head scratcher why folks in such a wealthy nation as the U.S. have such a tough time doing the right thing for themselves.  On the other hand, when you look at the trends in conventional medicine, the top pharmaceutical products used are not so surprising.  The chart topping prescription drug sales for 2009 included a domination of drugs to treat cholesterol, depression and anxiety, pain, and diabetes.  One study even notes that more than 80% of health care claims costs are due to an individual’s lifestyle.

 

So the behaviors that makes us sick, and maybe even make us feel pretty horrible about ourselves and the world are medicated rather than resolved.  The good news: Current research suggests that it may never be too late to try to reverse existing damage with appropriate healthy living interventions.

  

Lifestyle changes can be challenging to address, but complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers excel in providing the time and attention needed to examine appropriate lifestyle interventions and make crucial recommendations.  CAM, sometimes called integrative medicine or holistic medicine, encompasses whole health care, and providers may promote healthy choices around diet, stress management, and a variety of concerns facing conscientious consumers of health care.  CAM practitioners may play an important role in helping patients close the gap between information and action.  

  Learn more from CAM PPO of America, Inc. at www.camppoamerica.com.