Natural Health and Low Cost Health Care: Coincidence or Connection?

Just a few weeks ago, Time Magazine published data that shows the State of Utah spends less per capita on health care than any other state in the country. And yet, that same article published data showing that Utah has one of the longest life expectancies in the U.S. In fact, a separate study cited by Forbes Magazine placed Utah among the top 5 healthiest states in the country as measured by several criteria.

But that's not all. The studies cited by Forbes also indicate that 32% of Utah residents are uninsured. That's about twice the national average.

Doesn't this defy conventional wisdom!

Well, consider this: Utah has one of the highest concentrations of natural vitamin and mineral supplement manufacturers, and highest gross sales of natural supplements per capita in the country. One of those Utah natural health care companies, is a company Shelley and I started in 1988, InnerLight, International.
This company is still going strong today and helping millions of people around the world with natural health care.

Utah also has the highest concentrations of non-smokers, non-coffee, non-tea, and non-alcoholic drinkers per capita in the country. The reason for this is Utah has the highest concentration of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who follow a "Word of Wisdom" to abstain from tobacco, coffee, tea and alcohol and to eat meat sparingly and only in times of cold or famine.

Is this just coincidence or is there a connection? Sure, there's more to this story than just these statistics. But isn't it worth a closer look? I sure think so.

Please write to the directors of the new White House Office on Health Care Reform. Tell them that natural holistic health principles and nutritional products must be considered in any steps to reform health care in our country. You have a few options:

1. Email the Obama Transition team directly. Use the phrase "natural health" constructively and frequently. Use this link:

http://change.gov/page/s/healthcare

2. Send your own letter to the White House Office on Health Care. You don't have to use ours. But if natural health principles and nutritional products are important to you, take the time to do something about it. The address is:

The White House Office of Health Reform
Attn: Sen. Tom Daschle & Deputy Director Jeanne Lambrew
c/o Center for American Progress
1333 H St. N.W. 10th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005

3)Or you can use this form letter:

January 2009

The White House Office of Health Reform
Attn: Sen. Tom Daschle & Deputy Director Jeanne Lambrew
c/o Center for American Progress
1333 H St. N.W. 10th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005

Re: The Indispensable Role of Natural Health Care

Dear Sen. Daschle and Deputy Director Lambrew:

I am a Citizen for natural health care. Like you, I consider health care reform one of the most important issues we’ve faced in a generation. As someone dedicated to natural health care practices and principles, I urge you to include natural health care strategists on your team that will determine the future of health – and the health of our future.

For instance, it’s important for you to know the following: The well-respected Lewin Group conducted not one, but four evidence-based studies proving that responsible use of dietary nutritional supplements will save our health care system billions of dollars. (1)

To be more effective, our system must include an essential principles of natural health care, i.e. health is not a commodity.

Natural health practices, although complementary with
allopathic medical interventions, deserves different regulatory and legal policies than patented medicine.

True dis-ease and/or disease prevention involves not just early detection. It also requires policies and strategies that support self-care education, that leverage our innate healing resource and that respect individual choice. See the Guiding Principles from the 2002 White House Commission report on Complementary & Alternative Medical Practice.

These are just a few of the strategies and policies that the natural health community has been promoting for decades. It’s time to bring the wisdom of natural health care forward. I am a
citizen for natural health care, and I look forward to working with you.

Thank you.

Kindest regards,


Resource:

(1)www.supplementinfo.org/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=lewin_page&category=Lewin