When it comes to health, we have become a nation that reacts to the sign of a symptom and then takes action. Do you want to know the problem with this mentality? By taking this approach, you will miss the top three killers in America today.
Cancer
Can you have cancer and not feel it? Yes, without a doubt. Think back to how many stories have you heard about someone who went in for routine blood work only to be told they have just months to live. And just to be clear, a person does not go from being relatively healthy to having cancer suddenly appear and spread throughout the body within a few months or even a year. The day that you are diagnosed with cancer is not the day you have cancer, it’s the end stage of a 10, 20, 30 year disease process.
In 2014, there will be an estimated 1,665,540 new cancer cases diagnose and 585,720 cancer deaths in the United States. (1)
Heart Disease
It is safe to say that we all know someone that has struggled with heart disease, heart attacks, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and even diabetes. Americans suffer over 1.5 million heart attacks and stroke each year with an estimated 800,000 deaths in 2014. (2) Did you know that a large majority realize the first sign (symptom) of heart disease the day that they actually have a heart attack or stroke? The question becomes, if this individual was exercising and eating well the day prior, along with feeling and looking good, were they truly healthy?
Iatrogenic Disease
Yes, it’s true! A word you have most likely not heard of is the leading cause of death in America today. Iatrogenic is defined as “induced in a patient by a physician’s activity, manner, or therapy.” (3)
According to a study performed in 2001, death by conventional medicine topped the list with 783,396 deaths. In that same year, heart disease was responsible for 699,697 deaths, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer were 553,252. (4)
If we look at the statistics, it is plain to see that we are losing the war on sickness and disease. Additionally, the very system that we trust to treat our symptoms and disease is responsible for inducing the highest rates of death by the activity, manner, or therapy of treatment provided. Seems a bit backwards, don’t you think.
References
- http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/cancerfactsfigures2014/
- http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/abouthds/cost-consequences.html
- http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Iatrogenic
- http://www.webdc.com/pdfs/deathbymedicine.pdf
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