Health Budget
*Revised as a general political comment – 20.06.2018
Australia’s Budget still dominates the media, nothing wrong with that, it’s just a shame that it is because of a political game where people on lower incomes are the losers, causing a negative flow-on effect for the whole of the economy and the country in general.
I am all for self-determination and taking on responsibility for my own well being, but never the less, putting on extra burden to the huge amount of people who haven’t been that fortunate to carve out a good living for themselves, this budget will not improve the economy or anything else for that matter.
As this blog is mainly about Holistic Health and Lifestyle, lets reflect on the budgets flow- on effect regarding Health and Lifestyle.
The country is struggling already with ever increasing Health cost, pressing an already marginalized group within our community into an even more precarious situation will further increase a number of social factors.
- Health cost will rise even more.
Poverty stricken people statistically make bad food and diet choices, which will increase chronic diseases and lifestyle diseases such as being overweight, smoking and alcohol related diseases. - Crime rate will increase.
As more desperate people become as more desperate action they take.
We don’t need more police, we need less crime. - Economy activity will decrease.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, people with no money can’t buy anything. Shop-owners will suffer, and in turn will spend less money, and so it continues.. - In weak economic times, people will shop selectively; spending for Health will virtually stop, people will be sick more often, once again adding to the community burden of rising health cost.
Actually there are many more negative flow on effects, but lets just concentrate on those mentioned.
Good politics and visions for the future obviously require are much better strategy to stimulate the economy and balance the budget to get out of debt.
Where are the strategies to lower health cost, crime rate and the level of poverty?
Any long term political decision has to take above issues much more serious, and I am sure if a Government would explain more positive directed strategies, the public would even be much more inclined to tolerate some cuts.
Coming back to our Holistic Health Issue.
First of all, if we would be all healthier, our nation’s health cost would be lower, which would help the budget and the economy.
Unhealthy people cost the economy a lot, they work less, and they use expensive health care facilities. Unfortunately, in bad economic times, they stop going to Natural Therapy providers, because the Government or Medicare does not provide bulk billing for Natural Health or Prevention.
Why are we that unhealthy?
Health education at schools is lacking in conviction and needs to be improved.
As long as it seems to be “not cool” to do something healthy, we have a problem, education could tackle that problem.
Food supply, once again; statistically it shows that lower income people eat more junk food and supermarket processed food than healthy fresh food.
If this trend could be reversed by educational programs starting already at schools, the whole country would benefit as well as the economy.
Looking around the isles of a supermarket, half of the stuff on the shelf shouldn’t be allowed. Processed food is deliberate spiked with sugar, salt and artificial everything to make it attractive and to stimulate more appetite and cravings.
Is anyone wondering why we are one of the countries with the most obese people?
Obesity is not just meaning being overweight, it actually means; diseases, esp. chronic diseases, such as Diabetes – Cardiovascular Diseases – Muscular-Skeletal diseases and the list goes on and on. There is hardly anything that is not effected negatively by a diet of processed food and over-eating. The costs associated with that are astronomical.
What does the Government do about that, and by the way; the resolution doesn’t’ even need “Research Funds”, it needs good positive policies, esp in food manufacturing and labeling, as well as protective guidelines for advertising.
I am not favoring either side of politics, I am favoring constructive, long term positive type of politics, which I like to call Holistic Politics.
Where are the innovations?
The economy, as important as it may be, it not the main part which needs addressing.
Health and living condition, spreading wealth to a wider level of the public, by educating about incentives for “Self-reliance” and Self-employment”, and remembering the Chinese proverb of ” give someone a fish and he will eat for one day, give someone a fishing rod, and he will eat every day” … or something similar. The point being, there needs to be more education and incentive to give people possibilities or ideas to make a living in a more constructive and creative way to escape or don’t fall into the welfare trap.
To finalize today’s blog… it’s all about education for lasting improvement in health and nutrition, as well as in teaching to see self-employment opportunities, and break out of the reliance on someone providing jobs, obviously not a job to be achieved in a hurry.
What can we do? By shopping healthier, we actually encourage food-manufacturers to produce healthier food choices. This is a the reason that we see now much more Organic Produce in our shops. With other words, anyone interested in a healthier life should stop buying processed food, if enough people do that, the message will hit home.
And for all the Natural practitioners; educate about nutrition, weight loss and shopping habits, even give Free lectures or workshops, it probably will increase your client base, and as more people you can reach as better.
Kind Regards, Dieter L.