Chronic & Degenerative Disease

The U.S. Public Health Challenge of the  21st  Century

1. The United States spends significantly more on health care than any other nation. In 2006, our health care expenditure was over $7,000 per person,  more than twice the average of 29 other
developed countries.

2. We also have one of the fastest growth rates in health spending, tripling our expenditures since 1990. Yet the average life expectancy in the United States is far below many other nations that spend less on health care each year. As a nation, more than 75% of our health care spending is on people with chronic conditions.

3. These persistent conditions—the nation’s leading causes of death and disability—leave in their wake deaths that could have been prevented, lifelong disability, compromised quality of life, and
burgeoning health care costs.

The facts are alarming:

• 7 out of 10 deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases.
• In 2005, 133 million Americans—almost 1 out of every 2 adults—had at least one chronic illness.
• About one-fourth of people with chronic conditions have one or more daily activity limitations
• Health disparities in chronic disease incidence and mortality are widespread among members of racial and ethnic minority populations. For example, heart disease death rates are higher among African Americans than whites, and diabetes rates are substantially higher among American Indians and Alaska Natives than whites
• Mental illnesses and chronic diseases are closely related. Chronic diseases can exacerbate symptoms of depression, and depressive disorders can themselves lead to chronic diseases

Things to Ponder:

• There are 3rd world cultures where chronic and degenerative conditions are virtually unheard of
• We have all but eliminated chronic and degenerative disease conditions in animals with nutrition
• Nutritional Supplementation and a Healthy, Natural Diet are proven preventative measures against many chronic and degenerative conditions