Why Lifestyle is the BEST Medicine | Meagan L. Grega | TEDxLehighRiver

Summary

The speaker, a physician, addresses the staggering costs of healthcare in the U.S., highlighting that most expenditures are for treating illness rather than promoting wellness. They reveal that only 20% of health outcomes are linked to clinical care, while 80% are influenced by personal behaviors and environment. The talk emphasizes the power of lifestyle choices, supported by a study showing an 80% reduction in chronic disease risk with four simple healthy habits. The speaker advocates for a shift towards community-driven health initiatives, like the 'Blue Zones,' where social nudges and environmental design encourage healthy behaviors, leading to increased longevity and well-being.

Takeaways

• 💵 The United States spends over $316 billion annually on cardiovascular-related costs and $327 billion on diabetes-related costs, with a total health care expenditure of over $11,000 per person.
• 🏥 The majority of health care spending is directed towards treating illness rather than promoting wellness or healthy behaviors.
• 🌐 Comparatively, the U.S. does not have better health outcomes like vitality, resilience, and endurance despite its high health care spending compared to countries that spend significantly less.
• 🌿 The speaker originally aspired to be a shaman, aiming to holistically care for the community's physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, but pursued medicine due to practical career guidance.
• 🔍 Only about 20% of health outcomes in the U.S. are linked to clinical care, while 80% are tied to personal health behaviors, socioeconomic factors, and environmental impacts.
• 🍽️ Lifestyle choices significantly contribute to the chronic disease epidemic, with diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and dementia being largely preventable.
• 🏋️‍♀️ A study found that adherence to four simple lifestyle factors—non-obesity, non-smoking, regular physical activity, and a plant-based diet—can reduce the risk of any chronic disease by 80%.
• 🤔 Despite the known benefits, less than 3% of Americans follow all four of these healthy lifestyle factors, indicating a gap between knowledge and practice.
• 🌱 The concept of 'Blue Zones' highlights communities with the highest percentage of centenarians who live long, healthy lives with minimal health care costs, attributing their longevity to social nudges and choice architecture.
• 🌟 Lifestyle medicine pioneers have demonstrated that changes in diet and lifestyle can rapidly improve health outcomes, such as reducing blood flow issues in heart disease patients within three weeks or normalizing blood sugar in type 2 diabetes patients within 16 days.

Q & A

How much money is spent on cardiovascular-related costs annually?

Approximately 316 billion dollars are spent on cardiovascular-related costs each year.

What is the irony mentioned regarding the high expenditure on health care?

The irony is that most of the money spent on health care is for treating illnesses rather than promoting healthy behaviors or wellness.

What percentage of health outcomes in the United States is directly related to clinical care?

Only about 20% of health outcomes in the United States are directly related to clinical care.

What factors are responsible for the remaining 80% of health outcomes according to the speaker?

The remaining 80% of health outcomes are related to personal health behaviors, socioeconomic factors, and the impact of the physical environment.

What is the speaker's original aspiration before deciding to become a doctor?

The speaker originally aspired to be a shaman, focusing on the holistic health of the community.

What are the four simple lifestyle factors evaluated in the 2009 study mentioned in the script?

The four lifestyle factors are: having a BMI less than 30, not smoking, participating in at least three and a half hours of physical activity per week, and eating a predominantly plant-based diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low red meat consumption.

What was the significant finding from the 2009 study regarding lifestyle factors and chronic disease risk?

The study found that following all four of the mentioned lifestyle factors could decrease the risk of any chronic disease by 80%.

How many Americans are estimated to follow all four of the healthy lifestyle factors identified in the study?

Only 2.7 percent of Americans are estimated to follow all four of the healthy lifestyle factors.

What is the concept of 'choice architecture' as discussed in the script?

Choice architecture refers to the default options presented in any situation, which can significantly influence the choices people make.

What are the Blue Zones and how are they related to longevity?

The Blue Zones are areas in the world with the highest percentage of centenarians, where people live long, healthy lives and spend very little on health care, attributed to their lifestyle choices and social structures.

What is the speaker's approach to creating a healthier community through the foundation they co-founded?

The speaker's approach involves implementing a healthy neighborhood immersion strategy that includes lifestyle programs, garden classrooms, plant-based cooking classes, improved access to nutrient-dense produce, and therapeutic lifestyle change interventions.