Andrew Weil: Healthcare system is in as bad a crisis as the economy

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Andrew Weil: Healthcare system is in as bad a crisis as the economy

By SUZANNE S. BROWN

The Denver Post

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

 

 

With his white beard and wide smile, Dr. Andrew Weil is easily

recognizable from the advertisements for his Origins skin-care

products, his book jackets and websites.

 

Weil has long espoused healthful eating and sensible exercise as

being the keys to living well. His books, CDs and website tout the

benefits of eating fish, fresh fruits and vegetables; avoiding

processed foods and unhealthy fats; and reducing stress with

breathing techniques and meditation.

 

But Weil, named one of the 100 most influential people in the world

by Time magazine in 2005, is more than an affable advocate of

the " natural " approach to health and wellness. His next book will

take on the American health-care system, which he claims is in as bad

a crisis as the economy.

 

" We spend more per capita than any country in the world, yet in terms

of health-care outcomes, we are in worse shape, " Weil told 125 people

at the Origins store in a Denver mall recently during a lunch-hour

talk and book signing.

 

Many of the health problems Americans have are a result of lifestyle

choices and environment, and they should be treated with education

rather than pharmaceuticals and costly medical procedures, he said.

 

" We need to shift from medicine being a disease-management system to

a health-promotion and disease-prevention system, " Weil said.

 

Weil's Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona

in Tucson has among its missions developing medical-school curricula

that incorporate natural and preventive medicine techniques, as well

as nutrition, into every resident's training.

 

Four hundred physicians and health professionals have graduated from

schools using the program, which is funded by Weil's foundation. The

doctor donates all of the after-tax profits from the sale of his

products to the foundation, and it is estimated to receive $450,000

from profits made in 2007.

 

The time is right for such training because not only are more

consumers requesting alternative treatments, but they can be cheaper

and less invasive than traditional approaches that call for surgery

and the use of expensive equipment, Weil said.

 

And physicians aren't the only group needing more knowledge.

 

" Improving health education in the public schools is critical, " Weil

said. " If they would have told me that health is the key to sex

appeal and beauty, I might have paid more attention. We need to make

health fashionable. "

 

People are afraid that getting healthy means " giving up everything

you like, " he said.

 

If you live for fast food, processed food and just about any type of

convenience food, that's probably true. But those who are willing to

eat more fruits and vegetables, increase their consumption of omega-3

fats and eat whole grains can help prevent the onset of

cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses, according to Weil.

 

Many of those foods are also good for your skin, he said. The

essential fatty acids in fish, the phytonutrients in an array of

fruits and vegetables and such spices as turmeric have anti-

inflammatory properties that improve the appearance of the skin.

 

Origins incorporates many ingredients also known for their culinary

properties into its skin-care products, including those in the Dr.

Weil for Origins collection. Mushrooms are a prominent ingredient in

the Plantidote face potions, while matcha tea and sweet almond oils

are used in bath products.

 

" In Chinese and Japanese medicine, there's not a sharp line between

foods and medicinal ingredients, " Weil said, noting he first had

matcha, a type of green tea, as a teenager on a trip to Japan.

 

Weil recommends a soothing bath as a way to relieve stress but is

also a big fan of a simple breathing technique derived from yoga

practice. The " 4-7-8 " exercise involves inhaling through the nose for

four seconds, holding the breath for seven seconds and exhaling to a

count of eight. Repeat for four breath cycles. (See a video of the

exercise at drweil.com)

 

" It takes a minute a day, is free and requires no equipment, " Weil

said, noting that regular practice of it can be helpful in

alleviating insomnia, irregular heartbeat, panic disorder and

digestive irritation. Other stress-reduction tools he recommends are

to eat better, take walks and go on a " news fast. "

 

What about sleep aids? He's opposed to almost all prescription sleep

drugs, except when someone is dealing with a trauma like a death or

when a patient is on a long plane flight for international

travel. " They are addictive and don't reproduce normal sleep, " Weil

said.

 

Instead, check your environment — make sure you're sleeping on the

right mattress, regulate the noise level in your bedroom, reduce

caffeine use and monitor your exercise habits. Sleeping in total

darkness is recommended because research has found that exposure to

light suppresses melatonin production, which is needed in regulating

the sleep/wake cycle.

 

 

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