| "everyone needs to take personal responsibility for their own health" Absolutely. I'm a caregiver to my father. He has many health issues. Some caused and/or exacerbated by poor lifestyle choices - smoking, poor diet, too much alcohol, etc. Granted his generation knew less than we do about these things today. There's a popular myth today that doctor's just want to push pharmaceuticals on patients. Maybe this is true in some places or with some doctors, but I've been taking my father to doctor appointments for the better part of a decade. Every one of his doctors - primary care provider, nephrologist, cardiologist, and pulmonologist - emphasized the importance of eating better, quitting smoking, exercising, and drinking more water. It always landed on deaf ears. After living one way for most of your life is very difficult. We also found out a few years ago that he brain damage from surgery to fix a leaking aneurysm in 1985. Both of these complicated his ability to make changes. Regardless, the doctors pushed pharmaceuticals as a last option. I'm 50 now. I row almost every day, I workout with kettlebells, have a regular mobility routine, and walk outside often. My diet is pretty clean, I don't smoke anything, and do not drink. I could die tomorrow from any number of things, but it won't be because I didn't try to take care of my health. All of that aside, I think it's important to not blame people for their health situation. It's easy to critique from the outside, but who knows what choices we'd make if we'd walked in their shoes and lived their life. |