Food for thought! RAND is ranting again!
Once more are Americans perhaps overdiagnosed? Too many doctors, too many diagnoses?
This article contains the usual terms of art like "food deserts" or "low health literacy". A long litany of the usual suspects.
"... Six out of 10 Americans have one chronic disease and four out of 10 have two or more chronic diseases that account for ninety percent of the $4.5 trillion annual health care costs in the nation. ...
The United States has the greatest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions in spite of much higher rate of health care spending in comparison to other wealthy countries. In 2024, more than 23 percent of U.S. adults reported experiencing a mental illness—often considered a chronic disease that can worsen other chronic diseases. Mental illness can be amplified by other chronic conditions. ...
Although investments in preventative care in the United States have declined over time, the United States still spends more on disease prevention than other wealthy nations. ...
About nine out of 10 American adults have low health literacy—that is they lack the ability to understand health-related information. Low health literacy is associated with poor health outcomes. Boosting health literacy in the United States may require amplifying health education efforts in K—12 educational settings, through employers, health insurance vendors, places of worship, and campaigns funded through public-private collaboration. ...
For some Americans the cost of healthy foods may not be an issue, but access is. Some communities in the United States are “food deserts” with no grocery stores with fresh produce for many miles. ...
Importantly, public health campaigns need to address America's addiction to ultra-processed foods head-on given that 60 percent of calories consumed by many Americans come from ultra-processed foods compared to 14 to 44 percent in Europe.
Communities also need safe and accessible locations for exercise. ...
In 2024, about 83 million people lived in areas with insufficient access to primary care. ..."
No comments:
Post a Comment