THE TIPPING POINT IN HEALTH AND DISEASE

Health and Disease (as it relates to the Human behavioral component) is based on the premise of

“THE TIPPING POINT.”

Whether we choose to proactively participate in a plan of action designed to improve our chances to avoid disease and dysfunction or choose to passively rely on an event in life (ex. diagnosis of adult onset diabetes or cancer) to produce a definitive tangible need for change, each participant chooses their respective path at THE TIPPING POINT.

The proactive participant seeks information for personal use to better incorporate beneficial lifestyle choices that support healthy outcomes. This information is used effectively to avoid harmful impetuous (emotional) decisions involving products and services designed to mislead the general population through deceptive advertising and marketing.

 

The passive participant typically requires suffering some degree of compromised health FIRST, before recognizing a need to alter one’s lifestyle. They tend to blind themselves to the various TRUTHS they’re exposed to in favor of accepting the marketer’s and advertiser’s messages. Instant gratification (ex. unhealthy foods) tends to outweigh any harmful realities because their harmful expression (in the form of disease or dysfunction) is commonly delayed over months or years.

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In simple terms, the PROACTIVE participant seeks

PLEASURE

as THE TIPPING POINT; a “pleasurable” desire to gain SELF CONTROL over behavior to increase chances for greater health and opportunities in life.  Pleasure, therefore, becomes the source of MOTIVATION.

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Those choosing to rely on a passive approach to health rely on

PAIN

as their TIPPING POINT; a negative and/or harmful outcome (commonly avoidable) producing the MOTIVATION required to alter one’s approach to lifestyle choices. Interestingly, as “PAIN” (in the form of a compromised health diagnosis, ex. high cholesterol) is reduced (often with the use of pharmaceutical prescriptions,) MOTIVATION to continue following healthier lifestyle choices dissipates. Lab results, achieved with pharmaceutical assistance creates an inaccurate assumption that health has been restored. It is common at this point the individual reverts back to previous patterns of destructive behavior. Until PAIN once again is experienced (typically in the form of a new or recurring diagnosis) the individual will justify their pharmaceutical “needs” as a “normal” event in life. Even though a clear problem exists if lifelong pharmaceutical prescriptions are required to override the normal function of the body, the consumer chooses to ignore this REALITY. As long as the doctor states, “your in good health,” the patient is convinced the prescription(s) will effectively counter the harmful effects of damaging lifestyle choices.

 

Why then, doesn’t the average person choose PLEASURE over PAIN as their source of MOTIVATION? In my opinion, PLEASURE requires greater personal effort, commitment and value to life. PLEASURE becomes the END RESULT of a proactive healthy lifestyle designed to maximize qualitative living.

It doesn’t, however, satisfy the emotional need for immediate gratification!

 

The consumer, using a PASSIVE approach to life, uses “PAIN” as a reference source signaling the “need” for outside intervention (ex. a doctor.) Personal effort isn’t required because the doctor is held “responsible”  for monitoring and treating the “PAIN” (diagnosis.) It’s viewed as the “easy way out” where, in fact, it typically results in greater and more complicated “PAIN” (additional disease diagnoses and prescription drugs) over time.

The kitchen cabinet replaces the bathroom medicine cabinet as the number of prescriptions increase. It becomes necessary to purchase a pill organizer to accurately comply with daily pharmaceutical requirements. Yet, the consumer continues to deny they’re living in a state of compromised health.

IS THIS THE PICTURE THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF “GOOD HEALTH?”

We justify this PAIN along with the growing rate of complications as the result of

“GETTING OLDER”

This helps us rationalize our choice to remain passive as we follow the path of instant gratification. As we accept our doctor’s claim that chronic disease is part of the aging process, THE TIPPING POINT toward accepting PAIN increases. It supports the belief our aging health is outside our control. This, in turn, justifies our choice to satisfy immediate gratification without significant guilt. In fact, the consumer (typically on 6-20+ different prescriptions during their lifetime and living with reduced quality and function) verbalizes the ultimate justification. It sounds something like this:

Hell, we’re all going to die anyway…I may as well enjoy everything I can until that day comes!

Although the sentiment is understandable for those willing to place themselves in this passive role, it must be understood the active participant also wishes to enjoy life to the fullest until that fateful day. The difference is the active participant finds joy and fulfillment in “things” that accentuate one’s quality of life  rather than “things” that cause disease, dysfunction  and other harmful outcomes.

Until the PASSIVE PARTICIPANT is willing to recognize this reality, much of society will continue to accept a self destructive path convinced a life filled with chronic diseases including:

• high blood pressure

• high cholesterol

• cancer

• type 2 diabetes

• obesity

• autoimmune diseases

• arthritis

• chronic fatigue

• depression

• gastrointestinal disease

• …and the list goes on

is simply a natural part of life.

In reality:

THERE IS NOTHING NATURAL ABOUT HARMING ONESELF AND SHORTENING ONE’S LIFE EXPECTANCY!

Tags: accountability, Choices, disease, health, lifestyle, pain, pharmaceutical, pleasure, quality of life, self image, solutions