[00:00:11] Speaker A: What's worthwhile? It's a question we all need to answer for ourselves. I'm Ramsey Zimmerman. As for me, it's Building Mind, Body and Spirit Wellness. Let's ponder the big questions together as we seek peace of mind, vitality of body and joy of spirit.
[00:00:31] Speaker B: Foreign hey there, it's Ramsey here. This episode is a milestone 50 episodes and a full year of the what's Worthwhile podcast. I want to tell you all about what I'm thinking and feeling about that, but it's hard. It's a lot. I don't know where to start. Maybe let's start with what I'm sure about. I'm all in on building Mind, Body and Spirit Wellness Towards Peace of Mind, Vitality of Body and Joy of Spirit. Peace of mind is seeking and finding truth, understanding and respecting other people's perspectives and feeling. Enabled and free to engage in open conversations about what you think Vitality of body is having the energy and drive to do the things in life you want based on the foundations of nutrition from whole foods, quality sleep, regular movement, and by avoiding the toxicity of modern life. Joy of Spirit is walking around with purpose and quiet confidence that comes from connection to your higher power, your community, your family and your friends.
What I'm not always sure about is how much about me I should share on the podcast versus how much I should focus on you. I want to share about myself. I would not have started this podcast if I didn't want to share, but I wonder how much do you want to hear about my own issues? I guess I'll shoot for a healthy balance of sharing about me and about you. So I'll make you a deal. If I share about myself, will you share with me about yourself too? I want to hear from you truly. Please respond. You can hit me up via email or a message on my website or through my social media on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. It's truly a pleasure when I get to have conversations with people on the podcast. I consider it a blessing that most of my guests reach out to me, wanting to tell their stories about what is worthwhile to them them how they figured it out and how they are seeking to help other people. Keep it coming. If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, please let me know. So today I am going to share about me for a while. I'm actually kind of struggling with my peace of mind these days. I do not feel at peace in my mind because I have not felt free and able to say all that I really think I am trying and I think I am making progress. I almost feel safe to say something out loud that I haven't said yet. Make America Healthy again. Ma ha ma ha ma ha. Listen, I live in a deep blue area of a blue state. Wearing a MAGA hat is punishable by a social death sentence. Would the one letter change make a difference or the color change from red to green? I'm not sure. Even in the best of times, politics is divisive and makes people itch. But here's the thing. Getting healthy should not be a political issue.
My hope and theory is that now that RFK Jr has taken office as Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Maha idea Make America Healthy Again is officially a national priority. Instead of a political slogan coming from one side Too soon? I say no, not at all too soon. American life expectancy significantly lags behind other developed countries, with pre COVID 19 United States life expectancy averaging 78.8 years and comparable countries averaging 82.6 years. This equates to 1.25 billion fewer life years for the United States population. Six in ten Americans have at least one chronic disease and four in ten have two or more chronic diseases.
An estimated one in five United States adults lives with a mental illness.
These realities become even more painful when contrasted with nations around the globe. Across 204 countries and territories, the United States had the highest age standardized incidence rate of cancer in 2021, nearly double the next highest rate.
Further, from 1990 to 2021, the United States experienced an 88% increase in cancer, the largest percentage increase of any country evaluated in 2021. Asthma was more than twice as common in the United States than most of Europe, Asia or Africa.
Autism spectrum disorders had the highest prevalence in high income countries, including the United States, in 2021. Similarly, autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis and multiple sclerosis are more commonly diagnosed in high income areas such as Europe and North America. Overall, the global comparison data demonstrates that the health of Americans is on an alarming trajectory that requires immediate action.
This concern applies urgently to America's children. In 2022, an estimated 30 million children, which is 40.7%, had at least one health condition, such as allergies, asthma or an autoimmune disease. Autism spectrum disorder now affects 1 in 36 children in the United States, a staggering increase from rates of between 1 and 4 out of 10,000 children identified with the condition during the 1980s. 18% of late adolescents and young adults have fatty liver disease close to 30% of adults are pre diabetic and more than 40% of adults are overweight or obese. These health burdens have continued to increase alongside the increased prescription of medication. For example, in the case of attention deficit disorder, Attention Deficit hyperactivity disorder, over 3.4 million children are now on medication for the disorder, up from 3.2 million children in 2019 and 2020. And the number of children being diagnosed with the condition continues to rise. This poses a dire threat to the American people and our way of life. 77% of young adults do not qualify for the military based in large part on their health scores. 90% of the nation's $4.5 trillion in annual health care expenditures is for people with chronic and mental health conditions. In short, Americans of all ages are becoming sicker, beset by illnesses that our medical system is not addressing effectively. Do those statistics surprise you? They should. They're stunning. You may even be surprised that I read off statistics because I don't usually do that. Ready for one more shock? That whole section came directly word for word out of the executive order establishing the President's Make America Healthy Again Commission. This commission is charged with making an assessment in 100 days and a strategy 80 days later to tackle childhood chronic disease, overexposure to chemicals and prescription drugs, the effectiveness of educational programs, the transparency of current and unpublished data and analyses, and the undue influence of the medical industry on health agency efforts. In short, this commission is charged with turning the entire HHS infrastructure on its head, or maybe putting it back on its feet. Some might argue that it is currently standing on its head and is beholden to the pharmaceutical industry. Look, I appreciate you staying with me this far. I know I've been droning on for a while about Maha and HHS, and I know that RFK Jr. Is a controversial and puzzling figure. In terms of the shots, he's being coy, and some people think he's totally anti vaxx and others think that he isn't anti vax enough. We'll have to wait and see where that falls. But again, here's the thing. It's not about him or Trump. It's about all of us. The American people. Make America healthy again. For me, this changes everything. This is the convergence of my political leanings and my health and wellness beliefs in practice. In fact, I'll let you in on another personal secret. Back in August and September of last year, when I was considering whether or not to commit to the 12 month nutritional therapy practitioner program, it was RFK Jr. Endorsing Trump. That inspired me to sign on the dotted line because I saw a path, a direct line, and that path is now lit up. With Maha a national priority and no longer a campaign slogan, it is time to drive forward. People should be healthy. People of all ages, from babies to kids to parents to retired people. What is there to disagree with about the goal, the desire for the people of our nation to be healthy? Let's start there with common cause. I know and expect that we have some different ideas about how to get and stay healthy. I'm good with that. We should have robust discussions about the details. Here's what I'm personally focused upon a long list of beneficial things we can and should be doing for our health before medical intervention, like avoiding processed foods and chemicals, prioritizing nutritious whole foods, sleep and exercise, practicing meditation, mindfulness and prayer, and connecting meaningfully with the people in our lives. I'm 50 episodes in now on Crying out in the Wilderness. I've bounced around between topics, talked about building bridges between people, energy, health, politics and more. I've interviewed people, so many awesome people, and discuss these topics. This past year has been a wild ride for me. I've been completely reinventing my professional work and priorities, but I think the timing was right. This year has started off as a wild ride for everyone. And really, we've only gotten started. The first month of Trump 2.0 is already showing the biggest changes our nation has seen in decades or century, or maybe ever. I know that Maha is only one dimension of that. I know that people are worked up, disrupted, angry, but angry at different things and different people. I'm focusing on Maha now. I encourage you to grab on to Maha now too. It can bring us together again. It is officially a national priority. We need it so much. It is so worthwhile. As we regain our health and wellness as a nation, we can better tackle our myriad other challenges. Huh? I'm actually feeling better now, more at peace in my mind now that I've spoken up. It's your turn. I want to hear from you. What do you think is worthwhile? I don't have all the answers, but I'm excited that we are asking tough questions and looking for solutions. And for today, that is enough.
[00:11:48] Speaker A: Thank you for asking what's worthwhile? Visit whatsworthwhile.net to learn more about me, Ramsay Zimmerman and please provide your name and email to become a supporter. I'm asking for prayer, advice, feedback and connections. The what's Worthwhile podcast is on Spotify, Apple, Iheart and Amazon. You can also
[email protected] thanks.
