There’s a lot of talk right now about figuring out what’s causing an epidemic level of chronic disease epidemic in America.
Stats are flying around, like…
- Half of American adults are diabetic or pre-diabetic (in 1950s only 1% had Diabetes)
- 74 percent are overweight or obese
- 30% of teens are pre-diabetic
- 79% increase in cancers in young adults
- 25% of women are on an antidepressant
- 20% of children and young people age 3-17 have a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder
- The U.S. has the highest infant mortality rate
- 1 in 36 kids have autism and in California it’s 1 in 22 (this was 1 in 1500 in the year 2000)
- Infertility has gone up 1% per year since the 1970s
- Autoimmune disorders have increase 1600% since 1990
Clearly something’s going on…
You’ll hear in the media: “we don’t know why these are on the rise.”
Or the numbers get rationalized as increased awareness and better diagnostics leading to more accurate diagnosis.
I disagree.
What’s Causing the Chronic Disease Epidemic?
Ask anyone who’s been trying to heal their own chronic disease or help others do the same and they’ll tell you it’s no secret.
We’ve known for a long time.
It’s three things:
crap food
toxins
stress
Three things that are ignored or given lip service in our modern medical approach.
Chronic disease is complex.
It’s a totally different beast compared to acute or infectious disease.
With chronic disease there’s no smoking gun.
There’s multiple causes conspiring below the surface, all highly individual – varying from person to person, case to case.
Our medical system nails acute care.
If I break my leg, get pneumonia, or am in a car accident – I’m going to the doc. Give me the cast, antibiotics, or surgery to put me back together if necessary.
Healing chronic disease though – totally different animal.
It can’t be done in a 15 minute visit.
With a Z-pak.
Or in the ER.
A Different Approach to Chronic Disease
Chronic disease requires a complex, individualized approach to match its complex, individualized causes.
Something that right now is impossible for our insurance-based medical system to deliver.
“Figuring out the cause” doesn’t exactly fit with the current model that wants to put everything in a box, with a label (eg. diagnosis).
That’s how we got here.
Chronic disease on the rise.
And prescriptions and health care costs following suit.
Because when the only tool you’ve got is a prescription pad.
Everything needs a prescription.
The solution: Take this med to manage it.
But that’s not a solution.
That’s living with a crutch.
My advice —
Take the crutch — thank God for the crutch.
That’s what’s going to help you get from here to there.
Just don’t stop at the crutch.
And if all you’re being offered is a crutch and nothing else — go find someone offering more than a crutch.
Getting to the Roots of Chronic Disease
I promise you more answers are out there. You just have to go looking outside the box.
Outside the box is what I do as a functional medicine practitioner and health coach.
I help you connect the dots between your diagnosis, symptoms, history, and the root causes conspiring beneath the surface so you can finally take your health back and feel like yourself again.
No more “labs look good” even though you feel like crap.
No more just throwing meds at the problem to silence the symptoms.
No more worry, fear, and confusion when it comes to your health.
Just you and I together looking at all the pieces of the puzzle, putting them together, and piece by piece becoming a picture of thriving health.
First step is a Fresh Start Session.
This is where we lay out all the pieces — your health history, symptoms, all the details — and start uncovering what your body really needs.
I’ll listen, ask the right questions, and we’ll connect your symptoms with solutions — so you can finally get some real answers and know exactly what to do next.
