As a classroom teacher in my former career, I saw firsthand that there are now teenagers struggling with autoimmune digestive health conditions that seriously impact their education and future outcomes. “Both overweight and obesity increased substantially in every world region between 1990 and 2021, suggesting that current approaches to curbing increases in overweight and obesity have failed a generation of children and adolescents.” (PMID: 40049185) Negative industrial farming practices and the prevalence of consumption of processed food is creating chronic inflammation in Americans. I sat in on a training in which it was stated that teenage cardiac events will not be unusual in the next ten years. I don’t think parents want that future for their kids, so I teach nutritional concepts that can reset the whole family’s way of eating. It’s not just about filling your stomach — it’s about re-educating your taste buds, nourishing your body and learning to listen to your body’s cues and needs.
What does the average American spend on healthcare per year?
According to https://www.cms.gov/data-research/statistics-trends-and-reports/national-health-expenditure-data/historical, “An average American spent roughly $14,570 per person on healthcare in 2023, though this total is often higher than what individuals directly pay out of pocket, as it includes the large employer and government contributions to overall health spending. Direct out-of-pocket costs, such as deductibles and co-pays, averaged $1,514 per person in 2023.”
I would argue that future healthcare costs will be more manageable if we regularly turn our focus to self-care before our 50s, and head chronic conditions off before they are full-blown. If you are struggling with prediabetes or diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, there is a lot that you can do with the way you eat and manage stress that would be a very positive investment in your health and ultimately lower your out of pocket health costs. We only have one body and it has to get us all the way through this life!
