Epidemic Obesity

There is an epidemic of obesity.
The core correctives are well known. Eat less and exercise more. Simple, affordable, effective. Eating less is by far the more important. To lose weight solely by exercise is close to impossible for normal individuals.
A couple of points. In eating less keep going with fruit and vegetables and leave off the big starchy foods - bread, potatoes, rice, pasta etc and of course the sugary drinks.
In exercising more, stick to walking - anything else will bring its own problems. Walking more will have most effect in a hilly environment and in colder climes.

Who Does What?

In healthcare there are a wide variety of occupations  and careers. Specialization is universal and makes for better individual elements of care even though you or I might wish a single helpful face to take us through the entire encounter. The different roles have developed over time. (I would say evolved but their might be creationists, sorry intelligent designees , reading this and the benefits of evolution should come even to you who deny it.!)
Major change is needed.
This last 30 years, for the first time in history, we genuinely know how patients with many common illnesses can best be helped.  And it is written down. No longer does every illness in every patient need a complex assessment which can only be done by a massively trained and experienced bio-scientist with the tools to sift the possibilities and the wisdom to select the best approach with much scratching of the head and Umms and Hmmms- recognise your traditional doctor?
Tell your tale to a thoughtful informed practitioner and the best approach will swiftly be forthcoming for your approval. Less time taken, less cost to you.
And more importantly - your traditionally trained doctor can concentrate on those illnesses where we don't  yet have a clear idea on how to help.
And even more importantly your traditional doc does not go crazy with boredom seeing many patients whom he can help without stretching his capabilities in the slightest.

This move is apparent in all the healthcare disciplines. As we generate a bigger better knowledge of how illnesses can be helped we need fewer of the traditionally trained professionals whether they be doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists or whomever. We need more people, with simpler training,  friendly and helpful to listen well and deliver the best advice and support which has been developed from a truly global experience of people in similar situations to yourself.
And this is only the beginning.
Watch this space.

Healthcare 101 - in 9 questions.

To understand healthcare and its discontents we will put ourselves in the position of a person who has become ill and who might one way or another ask a number of questions about what will happen next. There are 9 questions and understanding how each might be answered will give you an approach to the strengths and weaknesses of your healthcare system, which in turn gives you the basis for action to improve matters. Each question points to  an essential property of your healthcare system which you would wish to be at its best. Here is how it looks.