On 9/16/2015 4:03 PM, Muggles wrote:

[attrs snipped]

Also note, N. American doctors prescribe more drugs than any other in
the world.

I suspect you'll find that Americans *want* "pills" over other, less
expensive (but more *committed*) treatments. E.g., you don't need a pill
to lose weight -- you just have to *burn* more calories than you
*consume*! Ah, but that means you can't have second helpings of that
meal that tastes *so* good (because it has lots of sugar and fat!).

You can bring modest hyperlipidemia under control with diet and
exercise -- instead of resorting to drugs.

You can control much type 2 diabetes (esp "pre-diabetes") with exercise,
weight loss and diet -- instead of resorting to drugs.

I just had a check up this morning and my Dr. told me that while my A1C
was great that my bs was slightly elevated and that I was definitely
diabetic (type 2) and he wanted me to take the metformin even though my
bs is doing good just by diet and exercise. I was told years ago that I
didn't have a choice about becoming a diabetic because of family history
of type 1 diabetes. They said eventually that my pancreas would stop
functioning properly because of that family history. I'm just on the
this side |-- of being a diabetic. Prior to that I was hypoglycemic
for probably 20 years. I used to have low blood sugar episodes where
I'd be just short of blacking out, but now that I've crossed over to the
diabetic side that rarely ever happens.

I think medical science changes far more rapidly than many MD's
track. Like any vocation, there are many that sit on their laurels
and don't bother tracking the current state of the art.

My grandmother was insulin dependent and her bs would get between
300-400 at times.

Not sure why Dr.s want people to take meds when they can control the
type 2 with diet and exercise.

Because they are realists: they know it is much more likely that
a given patient will take a *pill* than exercise, modify diet,
lifestyle, etc.

[I'm deliberately ignoring any financial incentives they may have from
drug companies!]

I routinely ask my MD (annual physicals) what things I should do to
"improve" (not even trying to "optimize"!) my state of health.

On one occasion many years ago, he spouted the "exercise three times
a week" mantra -- three 30 minute sessions. I told him that I walk
regularly.

"Yeah, but how long do you spend?"
"56 minutes on each trip"
"How far?"
"3.8 miles"
"How often?"
"5 days per week, about 19 miles"
"Yeah, but how *fast* do you walk?"
"almost exactly 4 miles per hour" (most folks' average pace is *3* MPH!)

A moment of silence. Then:

"Well, it would be better if you could do *20* miles!"

I damn near laughed in his face: "A minute ago, you were
hoping I would exercise 90 (3 x 30) minutes per week. Now, I've
told you I'm doing almost four times that -- and at a vigorous
level! Yet, you're not happy with that but want me to squeeze
yet another mile into my schedule..."

I.e., he was *so* expecting me to say that I *don't* exercise
that he was initially just hoping to get 30 minutes, thrice
weekly! The idea of asking/telling me to put in 5 or more
hours each week was just WAY too much for him to expect! OTOH,
seeing that I was willing to make that big of a commitment, he
figured he could try to push for 5 hours and 15 minutes (the
added time required for that 20th mile)

A friend has weight, diet, heart, stroke, etc. problems. He's
outfitted one of the bedrooms in his home with a bunch of
exercise equipment. His wife *dusts* it periodically as it
sees no *use*. But, he probably figures he's made an
*attempt* by spending the money for the stuff...