The Startling Saga of Our Sick Society

We are a seriously sick society. Each year, obesity contributes to about 112,000 preventable deaths. Please don’t make it 112,001.

Let’s investigate this health crisis a little further.

Accompany me into the typical American family home.

We’ll stop momentarily to eavesdrop.

“Hey honey, what’s for dinner tonight?” Oh, I don’t know, but there’s some mac & cheese in the cupboard or a lasagna in the freezer.”

Does this conversation sound familiar?

Perhaps the lasagna was freshly home-baked by our culinary friend, Marie Callender, or the Stouffer’s?

I ponder what they ate for breakfast.

Crunchy Nut cereal contains 26 g of sugar per serving. And the Kellogg’s must be exploding with generosity because they are adding extra honey and molasses.

Our bodies are experts at converting excess carbohydrates to sugar and are more than willing to oblige.

The most villainous high-carb culprits:

• Bread
• Pasta
• Potatoes
• Rice
• Pizza
• Cereal

The Alarming Rise of Obesity in America

We’re getting sicker and sicker as a nation!

Obesity is now a significant public health epidemic. Each year, obesity contributes to an estimated 112,000 preventable deaths.

The prevalence of obesity changed relatively little during the 1960s and 1970s, but it increased sharply over the ensuing decades—from 13.4% in 1980 to 34.3% in 2008 among adults. From 5% to 17% among children during the same period.

Extreme obesity also increased from 1976 to 1980 and from 2007 to 2008. Approximately 6% of United States adults now have a BMI of 40 kg/m² or higher. ^[1]

And I’m talking fat, not muscle.

This isn’t just about appearance. It’s about health. Beyond preventable deaths, obesity is linked to serious health conditions. Heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers are all associated with excess weight. It’s not merely an aesthetic concern; it’s a matter of life and death.^[2]

Economic Burden

Obesity doesn’t just affect individuals; it impacts our economy. In 2019, the estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the United States reached nearly $173 billion. Adults with obesity incurred medical costs $1,861 higher than those with a healthy weight. These financial implications ripple through families and healthcare systems.^[3]

Why?

The most plausible explanation for the obesity epidemic in the USA is that around 1978–1980, there was a major increase in the consumption of UPFs (ultra-processed foods).^[4]

Around 10 to 12,000 years ago, humans hunted and gathered their food.

There was no access to drive-throughs, donut shops, pizza joints, hotdog stands, or ice cream trucks.

People ate real food with a diet of meats, fruits, and vegetables.

However, since the evolution of agriculture, our diets have become higher in calories and carbohydrates, hence the industrialization of our society.

Processed foods are hurtling down the conveyor belt at an incalculable speed.

The New Norms

• Binging on Netflix and reality TV.
• Gluing oneself to a smartphone for prolonged periods. This has created a new medical condition called Text Neck Syndrome or Smart Phone Neck. If we’re titling our 10 to 12-pound heads for long periods, we are putting pressure on the spine.

Here’s a little tidbit from Northeast Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.

Bending your head down 45-60% can put as much as 60 pounds of force on your upper spine. Your neck can not sustain that amount of pressure for long, and that’s when problems can occur – commonly called “text neck syndrome” – which can lead to prolonged spine damage.

• Overconsuming processed and packaged foods.
• Couch-rooting.

Obesity is widespread and has tripled since 1975, with 39% or more of American adults currently classified as obese.^[5]

Social Environmental Factors

We’re all aware that some people are born into unfortunate situations, such as poverty or life-long careers in hazardous working conditions, unable to afford proper healthcare or access to healthcare, and most importantly, lack of knowledge about eating healthy in general.

Let’s acknowledge that obesity disproportionately affects different groups. Non-Hispanic Black adults have the highest age-adjusted prevalence of obesity (49.9%), followed by Hispanic adults (45.6%), non-Hispanic White adults (41.4%), and non-Hispanic Asian adults (16.1%). Socioeconomic factors play a role, too.^[6]

Pollution and natural disasters are also significant factors in our health. Pollution can cause respiratory problems. Natural disasters can cause depression, anxiety, and physical injuries.

Poor Lifestyle Choices

What have we done to ourselves?

I don’t know about you, but in my younger years, I loved to imbibe in a tequila sunrise with a Bud Light chaser, complemented with a Merit Ultra-Light Long. My body was ravenous the next day, so I binged on chips and coke like there was no tomorrow.

We all know that cigarette smoking can cause cancer and COPD, and a poor diet leads to a myriad of health problems—not that the food industry tipped us off—we learned the hard way.

Fortunately, I broke away from these bad habits. I listened to my body when it cried out, STOP! I feel hurt! It wasn’t easy. I sometimes bounced back and forth like a ball in Newton’s cradle.

Each time I slid into my comfort zone, eating sugar, wheat, or ultra-processed junk food, my body erupted in protest. Once more, I bowed to its desperate plea and am profoundly grateful.

I’ve never been on prescription medications, and to this day, I remain free.

I’m not saying things can’t go wrong with the body no matter what we do. I’m saying we can help prevent that.

Listen to your body. When you wonder why you’re so tired, lethargic, depressed, or anxious, think about what you allowed in your body today. Stop letting those things hurt you, and let’s step into our senior years alert, healthy, and with a feeling of well-being.

Practical Solutions We Can Incorporate

Yes, a lot can be improved within the healthcare system. But we can’t improve it on our own.

We need the masses.

We are people—not just patients—and must speak out. No one should ever feel condescension or patronization from our healthcare providers. We must enlist new providers if they’re not partners in our healthcare. It’s our body, and we know better than anyone how we feel.

Find one who aligns with your beliefs and healthcare needs. There are some great functional medicine physicians out there.

But we must also be our own advocates, our own caretakers, rather than depend on our healthcare providers to fix a problem that we may have had it in our power to prevent—prevention is the operative word! But we need to educate ourselves now. Don’t wait.

Entering the Medical System

Once we get into the medical system, there’s no escape. We become enslaved to our appointments and prescriptions.

As someone in the medical documentation field for over 20 years, I’ve had a front-row seat to countless patient-doctor encounters.

While there are no specific names or demographics, I’d like to share some valuable insights I’ve gleaned from real doctors’ notes. These snippets are meant to shed a ray of light.

• A patient experiences aseptic necrosis of the jaw secondary to Prolia use. In some cases, small areas of exposed bone can occur within the mouth, particularly along the lower jaw and lingual side of the teeth. Close monitoring by an oral surgeon is essential.
• A patient has type 2 diabetes with hyperglycemia. He/she stopped eating fast food for lunch and switched to salads, and his/her A1c dropped a whole point. The doctor goes on to advise if he/she continues with this and makes this a lifestyle change, he/she will likely be able to come off all diabetic medication.
• A patient may even be expelled from a healthcare system or clinic if there’s a pattern of missing appointments. Maybe this has happened to you. Instead of a diagnosis, you’ll receive a classification, and that classification is “noncompliance.”

The sobering reality is that, over more than two decades of listening to dictation, I’ve encountered only two doctors who asserted that type 2 diabetes is reversible and that the patient’s medication may be eliminated.

Pharmaceuticals can and do work miracles for those already in a progressive downward health spiral.

However, “About 2,460 people per week are estimated to die from drugs that were properly prescribed, and that’s based on detailed chart reviews of hospitalized patients,” says Donald Light, who is a professor of comparative health policy at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Stratford, New Jersey.

Do what you can for your health from where you are. Start that lifestyle change now—it’s never too late!

The Future of Healthcare

Medical technology is rapidly advancing, but there is a growing recognition of the importance of preventative care. I’m not talking about technology alone but with an emphasis on lifestyle changes— eating habits, social habits, exercise, relationships—all of this matters.

However, not underscoring brain health/mind health is a devastating mistake.

Our brains are not just sitting at the top of our heads as lone entities. Our brains are connected to our bodies, and what affects the body affects the brain and thought process.

From Golden Grains to Frankenwheat, the Modern Culprit

It’s all wheat and nuttin’ but the wheat!

Have you read the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis?

Dr. William Davis, a cardiologist, has some intriguing insights about wheat. The wheat we eat today isn’t the same as the golden grains our grandparents enjoyed. It’s not your grandma’s wheat!

The modern wheat we eat today is short and stout. It was developed through cross-breeding and genetic manipulation around the 1960s, creating a bulky Frankengrain that leans due to its short and stocky 18 inches.

The wheat of the 60s and 70s stood tall with wispy stalks swaying in the breeze. However, today’s Frankenwheat bows under the burden of its weight.

After consuming modern wheat, many people experience symptoms like fatigue, headaches, abdominal pain, and bloating. While some blame gluten, others suspect other factors related to wheat itself.

Ancient grains are higher in micronutrients, including minerals and antioxidants. Due to shorter stalks, less sun exposure, and shallower root systems, modern wheat lacks vitamins and minerals like zinc, magnesium, iron, copper, and selenium.

This modified wheat contains a protein called gliadin, different from regular gluten. Gliadin acts like an opiate, cozying up to brain receptors and whispering, “Hey, you need more food!” No wonder we consume an extra 440 calories per day on average.

No matter how we slice it, too much bread is a vast carbohydrate overload, affecting our blood sugar, brains, and minds.

Every spoonful of cereal is like downing a glass of pure sugar. Donuts, cookies, and candy bars are at our fingertips to entice us to buy and buy again and again—leading to addiction.

The food industry has no interest in our health. Their interest is in their pockets, and the more addictive products they can sell us, the richer they become and the sicker we become.

A Shift Away from Frankenwheat Gains Momentum

Returning to the grain of yesteryear is complex. Economically, it’s a tough sell due to lower yields.

But, a movement away from wheat is brewing. People are swapping their bagels for actual food—meats, veggies, fruits, and berries. These goodies are less likely to have been meddled with by agribusiness.

So, when you think grains, remember that today’s wheat is a far cry from the wild grains our ancestors thrived on. It’s an insight worth chewing on!

Feeding Our Minds and the Impact of Nutrition on Brain Health

The paradigm is shifting in the brain health field, as well. I prefer the term “brain health” because I find the word “mental” offensive and degrading.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you use my link to make a purchase.

Here is an excerpt from Dr. Christopher Palmer’s book, Brain Energy.

Brain Energy presents the first comprehensive theory of what causes mental illness, integrating decades of clinical, neuroscience, and metabolic research into one unifying theory. Mental disorders are metabolic disorders of the brain. This theory integrates biological, psychological, and social factors and helps us understand the connections between mental health and physical health. It answers questions that have long plagued the mental health field, but more importantly, it offers new solutions, ones that come with the hope of long-term healing as opposed to just symptom reduction.^[7]

Dr. Christopher Palmer’s book, Brain Energy, is multifaceted, and I recommend his book to anyone desiring a different approach to their well-being.

Final Thoughts

The rise of obesity in America is a serious public health issue that requires our attention because it affects every organ in the body—including the brain.

While many factors contribute to this epidemic, including environmental and social factors, the one that sticks out like a sore thumb is the major increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) around 1978-1980.

It’s vital to emphasize preventative care, including lifestyle changes such as eating habits, social habits, exercise, and relationships.

By taking a proactive approach to our health and well-being, we can help prevent obesity and other health problems and live healthier lives, including mind-wise!

Sources

Background on Obesity – The Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov) ^[1]

Consequences of Obesity | Overweight & Obesity | CDC ^[2}

Adult Obesity Facts | Overweight & Obesity | CDC ^[3}

The Origins of the Obesity Epidemic in the USA–Lessons for Today – PMC (nih.gov) ^[4]

History of Obesity as a Disease | ProCon.org ^[5]

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Adult Obesity in the United States: CDC’s Tracking to Inform State and Local Action ^[6]

Home – Chris Palmer, MD – Mental & metabolic illness (chrispalmermd.com) ^[7]

Disclaimer: The information on this blog is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified health professional before changing your health or wellness routine. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.