As someone who has tried to address many of my own bad habits -- eating sugar, not exercising enough, overindulging around the holidays and paying the price -- I can sympathize with how tough it can be to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It's no wonder that many doctors have given up on trying to effect lifestyle changes in their patients and have come to rely instead on their prescription pad.
But a new study is trying to encourage doctors to give their patients another chance at unmedicated health. A group of doctors took 2,390 ethnically diverse men and women and put them through a 12-week community-based lifestyle management program. Participants had a range of conditions that can be helped by better diet and more exercise, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. Overall results showed improvements across the board, and in a subset of 700 patients, the intervention resulted in a significant reduction in standard risk scores for heart disease.
The researcher in charge of this study, Dr. Neil Gordon, says that he hopes the results "refute the notion that intensive lifestyle intervention is not worth the effort." I wholeheartedly agree. But if doctors are going to be successful in this endeavor, they'll need to think of this intervention in a whole new way -- a way that is not currently supported by our health care system.
Think about it. Maybe you see your doctor once a month, once a year or less -- for 15 minutes a shot, tops. That means you get anywhere from 15-180 minutes per year of time to focus on your health with a professional, and only a fraction of that time, if any, is spent discussing the impact that lifestyle choices have on your health.
It's time for doctors to look at the results of this study and start thinking outside the box. Perhaps they can pair up with a local gym in the neighborhood and offer discounted rates for their patients. Sponsor cooking classes at a local restaurant. Maybe work together with local community groups that focus on healthy lifestyles and get their patients involved in programs where more time is spent promoting and supporting their lifestyle choices.
Once upon a time, doctors knew their patients more intimately, and were an integral part of the community. Their influence was often felt beyond the time of a one-on-one appointment. The stranglehold that the drug and insurance companies have on the industry, combined with fears of malpractice suits, have led to doctors keeping their patients at an arm's length, and their influence on their daily lives has suffered as a result.
But most doctors did not join the profession to become pill-pushers. They wanted to have an impact on the health and well-being of other people. Somehow, we have to let doctors get back to fulfilling their nobler impulses. After all, we call it health care, not sick care.
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Shivers and shakes
Q: I've noticed that my finger on my right hand "shivers" when I use the mouse on the computer. It lasts about 20 seconds and then goes away. What do you think is causing this?
JVW: There are a number of factors a physician needs to consider when trying to make a diagnosis for this type of symptom, so the first thing I'm going to advise is that you see your doctor.
From your description, you could be experiencing some kind of tremor. There are many different kinds of tremors -- some serious, some not. Your doctor will probably inquire if the tremor occurs when you are still, when you attempt to move, if it only occurs in one position, whether there is a history of tremor in your family, or if it has come out of the blue.
Tremors may be caused by any number of situations. They can include: injury such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, other forms of nerve damage or degeneration, a specific disease process such as Parkinson's disease, medication side effects, heavy metal poisoning, thyroid disease, alcohol abuse or stress, just to name a few. Treatment should be based on cause and may include supplementation, physical therapy, or stress management.
I would encourage you to see a natural health physician about this to ensure a thorough evaluation of ALL the factors that may be contributing to your problem. And you'll be more likely to find the most natural approach for treating it. To find a natural medicine doctor in your area, contact the American College for Advancement in Medicine at (800)532-3688 or go to www.acam.org.
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What is...hyperlipidemia?
Hyperlipidemia refers to an elevation of lipids (fats) in the bloodstream. The most well-known lipid is cholesterol. This term can also refer to elevated levels of other lipids as well, such as phospholipids and triglycerides.
Hyperlipidemia is being touted as a primary cause behind numerous diseases such as heart disease and stroke. However, we are still in the early stages of learning about the wide spectrum of lipids in the body and their many functions. Surely, more and more complex information will emerge in the coming years about this condition and how it can be best addressed.
Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Managing Editor
Nutrition & Healing
Sources:
Gordon NF, et al. "Effectiveness of therapeutic lifestyle changes in patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and/or hyperglycemia." Am J Cardiol 2004; 94(12): 1,558-1,561
