AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH MORE THAN A POUND OF CURE
Covid-19 is exposing the problems with our overburdened healthcare systems
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit us out of the blue and is wreaking havoc across the global economy. Like many of the major crises throughout history, this one will teach us a number of lessons and show us how to make improvements to the way we live. The nature of the disease meant we had no other choice than to lockdown populations. Much remains to be discovered about this virus, but as more data becomes available it appears people with chronic conditions (e.g. high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, obesity) have been the primary victims.
Before Covid-19 appeared, most western healthcare systems were already under significant stress with 70% of their resources used to treat avoidable, lifestyle-induced chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. With so much time and money being used to treat these conditions, there was limited capacity for an unexpected crisis like Covid-19. The Milken Institute released a study [1] in 2018 showing that the annual cost of chronic conditions to the US economy equated to 1/5 of total GDP, and was still rising. Most of these chronic conditions are caused, or exacerbated by, poor lifestyles. Covid-19 has exposed the strain within our healthcare systems and highlighted how far the repercussions of poor lifestyle reach:
a) Unhealthy lifestyles weaken immune systems
The weaker our immune systems are, the less we can ward off contagions and the more susceptible we become to viruses. When we catch a virus, it takes us longer to recover.
b) Chronic conditions are a significant factor in covid-19 hospitalizations
The Journal of the American Medical Association in a just-released study reports that 94% of New York City Covid-19 hospitalizations have at least one chronic condition, 88% have two or more.
c) Hospitals and healthcare workers are overwhelmed
It’s clear that when our healthcare system was hit with the pandemic, it was already facing a shortage of doctors and nurses. Healthcare workers are working around the clock. Important medical procedures such as surgeries, cancer treatments and cancer screenings are being delayed and postponed, risking further illness and death. Emergency response times are also suffering, another factor that will lead to increased deaths.
d) Many economies have been shut down in order to protect vulnerable populations
This shutdown is causing deep recessions and enormous financial hardship for millions of people. This will likely cause spikes in alcohol and drug abuse, suicides and other mental health issues.
Why healthy lifestyles need to be part of the new normal:
Once the immediate crisis has receded, society needs to focus on building an ecosystem that encourages a new, healthier way of living. Already there are shifts in how people are thinking and behaving. Attitudes towards such things as the importance of handwashing and how to properly care for the elderly, are changing. But the most significant lesson ought to be that:
An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure
The opportunity: A societal approach to healthy lifestyle
Out of every crisis comes opportunity. The opportunity presenting itself in the wake of Covid-19 is to drastically shift our focus from disease treatment to disease prevention, by improving lifestyles. This is the only viable way to reduce the unsustainable burden we place on our healthcare system and society.
Why? Because a healthy lifestyle:
1. Prevents disease
2. Helps overcome or mitigate disease
3. Boosts our immune systems naturally
By preventing more disease, healthy lifestyles will reduce the burden on our healthcare systems so that we have more capacity to care for those who need it the most. We will also be better prepared to deal with future pandemics.
How much room for improvement is there?
· 35% of US adults average less than 7 hours of sleep per night [2]
· 48% reported lying awake at night due to stress [3]
· 77% experience physical symptoms caused by stress on a regular basis [4]
· Only 33% of Americans indicated they are happy [5] [6]
· Fewer than 20% meet the minimum physical activity and exercise guidelines [7]
· Only 12% meet the minimum recommended daily intake of fruits [8]
· Only 9% meet the minimum recommended daily intake of vegetables [9]
As a result, obesity levels have risen to 42% [10]. Almost 13% of American adults now have Type II diabetes and 35% are prediabetic [11]
It’s time to rethink the role companies, governments, educational institutions, medical providers and individuals need to play in encouraging healthy lifestyles.
Everyone has an important part to play in the construction of an ecosystem that promotes and reinforces healthier living. Here are some of our thoughts.
The role of companies
Companies have thus far not been very successful at driving lifestyle improvement. When they do decide to invest in employee wellbeing, there is little or no accountability for achieving results. This is not surprising since companies tend to view offerings to improve wellbeing as employee "benefits" or "perks". Instead, it should be viewed as a necessity. Helping employees improve their lifestyles reduces costs and boosts productivity - when done properly.
Encouragingly, companies are spending increasing amounts on environmental initiatives. However, the economic damage done by Covid-19 will exceed all the higher estimates of damage done by climate change over the next few years. So, we recommend that some of the “E” in ESG strategies shift to the “S” to protect our healthcare and broader society. C-suite needs to rethink how they view ESG, to support the creation of a culture of healthy living. They can start by ceasing to view health and wellbeing as a benefit and make it a mission critical necessity.
The role of schools and universities
To create an environment where healthy living is promoted and is embedded in the curriculum. Learning how to take care of oneself is every bit as important as learning to read and write. Schools and universities need to drive lifestyle improvement among staff and workers in a more effective manner. They are important role models for students and children.
The role of governments
Governments are in a unique position to set the example throughout society. They can nudge people in the right direction by providing education and guidelines around healthy living, for both parents and children. Some governments are starting to take concrete action to discourage junk and processed food consumption, especially amongst the young.
The role of medical institutions
Patients listen to their doctors. Lifestyle medicine (education) can be provided alongside traditional treatments to boost recovery and prevent recurrence. Lifestyle medicine can also be used as “prehab” to give patients a better chance of successful outcomes in elective treatments. Medical schools should place greater emphasis on the importance lifestyle medicine as part of traditional medicine. Medical staff themselves are often under extreme stress and need support with their own lifestyles. This will enable them to provide guidance to patients and to lead by example.
The role of insurers
Health insurers are well positioned to play a more innovative role and to find new ways to proactively invest in the physical and mental wellbeing of their population. Success will not only save money, but also increase their competitive advantage. Furthermore, they can help corporate clients and self-insured organizations to innovate as well.
The role of individuals
We all need to take responsibility and make efforts to look after ourselves. We have to put in more effort to stay healthy, so we can protect our healthcare. This will not only save lives now but also in the future. We have the responsibility to set a better example for younger generations. Just a few, small changes to our daily habits, can lead to much healthier lifestyles.
We can do this: We have done it before with smoking
Smoking provides us with a template of how governments, institutions and organizations across society worked successfully together to create an ecosystem that drastically reduced smoking rates. In 1970 just over 40% of the adult population in the US smoked. Today it is under 14%. Contrast that with obesity; in 1970 around 15% of the US adult population was obese. Today it is over 42%.
Conclusion: Creating a new normal that reinforces healthy living
The pandemic is a wake-up call for modern society. Over the last few decades, most western societies have seen dramatic rises in preventable chronic conditions and obesity. But this can be reversed. We have the chance now to re-think our lifestyles, and to create a healthy environment for ourselves and future generations. But in order to do this, we all need to take responsibility and think of how each of us can play our part. In our upcoming blog we will be discussing in more detail what constitutes a healthy lifestyle.
Thank you for your time. Feel free to share this information with anyone who is interested in healthier living and/or would like to improve our ecosystem.
We wish you true wealth.
Sources and references:
[1] America's Obesity Crisis: The Health and Economic Costs of Excess Weight - Milken Institute, April 2020
[2] Sleep and Sleep Disorders, Data & Statistics - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 2017
[3] 2017 Stress in America: The State of our Nation - American Psychological Association, November 2017
[4] 2017 Stress in America: The State of our Nation - American Psychological Association, November 2017
[5] Here’s How Happy Americans Are Right Now - Time, July 2017
[6] Annual Happiness Index Again Finds One-Third of Americans Very Happy - The Harris Poll, June 2011
[7] President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, Nutrition & Physical Activity - U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, April 2020
[8] 2018 State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 2018
[9] Nutrition, Data & Statistics - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 2020
[10] Overweight & Obesity, Data & Statistics, Adult Obesity Facts - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 2020
[11] Diabetes, Data & Statistics, National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 2020
About RENDLE:
RENDLE helps organizations drive lifestyle improvements in a structured, data-driven manner. Our methodology guarantees populations will improve their sleep, stress management, happiness, exercise and nutrition while reducing back pain, smoking and other costly conditions. For more details about how we can help your organization improve contact us.