Can we be healthier?

I don't think we will be able to turn the country around as far as our unhealthy lifestyle.  I would like to believe that we could but given how expensive and inconvenient it is to be healthy, I just don't believe it will ever happen.  Our society is addicted to convenience and cheap prices.  Processed food meets that need.  Processed food is full of bad stuff, and many people who eat it know it is full of bad stuff.  They simply do not set their priorities to such that they spend their money and time living a healthy lifestyle.  Being fat and unhealthy is a priority choice for most people.

 We can put labels on everything that is bad for you but I don't think for a minute that will change behavior.  

 We can tax expand the sin tax idea to include foods that make people fat?  But I can not see that getting through anytime soon (ever).

I wish I had a great idea to get people to eat healthier foods.  Organic, locally grown food would help our country in many ways.  It seems to me that all the big issues facing our country are tied into each other.  Local organic foods would reduce the need for fertilizers (peak oil), reduce water contamination (water) improve health (federal debt and health care costs) and support our local economies (trade deficit).

Hey -- i don't have a comment on this "can we be healthier?" thread, but i came across this interesting piece "Shift in Health-Cost Focus Is Said to Show Promise" on NYTimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/health/policy/12care.html?adxnnl=1&adx... ) and was wondering if we could start a discussion about that.

For those without NYTimes.com access, the piece says...

By coordinating care and keeping their patients out of the hospital, doctors can help reduce overall health care spending, Medicare officials said yesterday in announcing the results of an experiment that allowed doctors to share in the cost savings.

The experiment, which started in April 2005 and is to continue through April 2008, is an attempt by Medicare to rethink the way it reimburses doctors. The goal is to pay them for the quality of the care they deliver, rather than on how many tests and procedures they perform.

“We want to reward providers for the right care at the right time,” said Herb Kuhn, acting deputy administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who said he was “very, very pleased with the first-year results.”

Although there are sharp limits to the conclusions that can be drawn, Medicare officials and the doctor groups involved say the experiment shows the potential in encouraging doctors to provide care and counseling programs that help patients stay out of the hospital or emergency room by better managing chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease. “It’s where the Medicare program has to go,” Mr. Kuhn said.