It is better to be proactive with your health than reactive. I work with many high risk individuals who can only wish they intervened earlier on behalf of their own health. They have given me a meaningful glimpse into the future. Poor eating and lousy exercise habits cost us our health and eventually, quality of life. One of the hardest things for me to see is someone taking their health for granted. Word to the wise: Once your health is gone, it can be gone for good. A price cannot be put on quality of life, and honestly, an unhealthy lifestyle is rather pricey. I shall elaborate.
If you are a smoker, are overweight, or take even one medication, you can expect to pay 50% more on your health insurance premium (in the individual market). This cost otherwise gets passed along to the employer of such individuals in group plans. Most health plans require a doctor visit co-pay, which may be expensive depending on the insurance plan and chosen deductible. Do not forget to include the co-pay on prescription medications, which, may or may not be covered by insurance altogether. Please also don’t forget about astronomical laboratory fees for blood work, etc. Start increasing the number of doctor visits and medications, and the costs add up quickly. Start getting into more serious health issues such as Diabetes, heart disease, or cancer and more medical specialists, office visits, medications and tests will be required. Even worse, secondary medications may have to be prescribed in order to control one or more side effects created by the primary prescribed. Ugh!
What people must realize is that their choices today will affect the quality of their life later on. Unnecessary weight gain now could mean a knee replacement or another degenerative, orthopedic issue in the future. Poor diet now will likely lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure later. A sedentary lifestyle today will mean an even more sedentary lifestyle later in life.
The best defense with your health is a good offense, so get going NOW. Really, what are you waiting for? If you want to keep the total cost of your health ownership down, and the quality up, positive changes have to be made now. You will later reap the benefits of any positive investments you make today. My father passed away in his fifties due to poor lifestyle choices. I, however, am doing things differently to ensure that family history ends with him. Will you responsibly intervene in the legacy of your family’s medical history and on behalf of your health?
Look far into your future and decide if you want to be an active, healthy retiree playing with your grandchildren and traveling about, or if you would rather scuttle around coping with chronic pain in between doctor appointments and trips to the local pharmacy. You have a choice today, make the right one.
