Is being sick, and on prescription drugs, the new normal?
Cornell University has a relatively new building on its campus dedicated to, get this, dairy science. Stocking Hall as it’s called, also proudly displays a giant monument in the shape of a milk bottle near its front entrance, while also serving as the home for the “Pepsico Auditorium.” Yikes! How can any of us ever trust institutions like Cornell University again, when they continually place profits and the input of powerful industries over the truth, and free speech?
I am reminded of a recent Google search where I was attempting to come up with some side dish ideas for cinnamon sweet potatoes, and instead stumbled onto an article from a seemingly credible website saying that sweet potatoes were unhealthy. Say what? The author argued that sweet potatoes are high in potassium and therefore, could lead to complications for people taking drugs to treat heart disease (the number one killer of Americans, and most often completely reversible with a whole food plant-based diet). I was at first indignant, and then I remembered a report by Georgetown University that estimated that over 131 million Americans (66% of all adults in the US) use prescription drugs. Wow. Of course it would have been nice if the author had been more responsible, and explained that sweet potatoes are amongst the healthiest foods on the planet before pointing to the health risks of prescription drugs (rather than the other way around), but I couldn’t completely fault the writer either. Is this our new normal? Btw, amongst other benefits, sweet potatoes lower blood pressure, cancer risk, and inflammation, while also improving digestion, immunity and eye health. But who wants to hear about that?
I also have a friend who has been dealing with a chronic illness for most of her life, and I recently learned that her husband is now resigned to taking a prescription drug (hypertension) for the rest of his life too. They are both aware that their diseases could be completely reversed with a whole food plant based diet (and other minor lifestyle changes), but so far, they remain uninterested in pursuing things further. Again, is this our new normal?
Yesterday, I was listening to a well known local news station on the radio, when I heard an advertisement for term life insurance. Perhaps you have heard of their slogan, “Big Lou is like you – he’s on meds too”? The commercial basically says that everyone is on meds and we are all sick, so it is best to just accept it and buy your insurance before you die. The pitch claims that “Big Lou” can find insurance for you before you die (prematurely), even if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or are overweight (not obese, but overweight, which I guess taps into a bigger market). The commercial claims that “Lou is one of you, and will tip the scale in your favor,” as the scale in the commercial’s video reads 250lbs (oh yes, there is a video too, which I have linked below). So yes, “Lou is one of you, he’s on meds too,” is a real commercial. Wow. I am speechless. This may be our new normal.
Lastly, I am not the biggest sports fan, but I still have fun following some of the athletes and teams. I subscribed to a podcast called the Yahoo Sports NFL Podcast mainly because both hosts were likable and knowledgeable (it is remarkable how much sports announcers can know about player and team statistics, while also being dangerously unaware or misinformed on so many other topics outside of sports as well). Regardless, it was one of the few sports shows that I found enjoyable. A couple of months ago, one of the show’s hosts, Terez Paylor, died suddenly at the age of 37, for reasons that still haven’t been released. From all accounts, Mr. Paylor was a talented, and lovely guy. He was was also obese. I wouldn’t mention it here, except that I was listening to the popular “Bill Simmons” sports podcast a week or two later, when a guest briefly mentioned the sad passing of Terez Paylor. Both speakers handled the moment respectfully, as the show paused and broke for commercials. What was the first advertisement? McDonald’s. Yep, the Golden Arches, and the very junk food that causes obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year (there are many other junk food sponsors for the “BS” show as well). I reached out to their network for a comment, but nobody has responded. The host(s) seem to care, but then again, do they really? An honest conversation would likely upset both the sponsors, and the potential revenue stream. I don’t know how Mr. Paylor died, and there are no guarantees for any of us, regardless of our lifestyle choices. However, statistically, the biggest contributing factor to nearly 80% of all deaths in the US is the Standard American Diet (SAD). And most people don’t want to talk about it. This is our new normal.
