Austin: The growing burden of chronic disease in Wyoming

Every day we read about the growing epidemic of chronic disease in America costing millions of dollars and causing debilitation and death. For Wyoming it compromises a significant population with heart disease/stroke, diabetes, and lung disease costing almost a billion dollars and rising.

Risk factors causing chronic disease range from healthy diet, lack of physical activity and tobacco use. But the good news is that these risk factors can change greatly and are modifiable with proper diet, increased activity and taking natural health supplements.

Buzzwords heard frequently with disease and cancer are "free radicals" and their effect on the body. Each day our bodies are bombarded with free radicals from our environment, the air we breathe and daily sun exposure. Then we ingest food and drink (water) increasing our exposure and risks of disease and death.

But now the introduction of "antioxidant" foods/supplements into our daily diet regimen has been proven to alter -- even cure -- disease processes including cancers in the body. We can't totally remove free radical exposure, but we can make a difference from the harmful effects of exposure through ingestion/use of antioxidants.

Homeopathic/natural herbal remedies have been used for years to treat diseases and provide relief of symptoms. Even pharmaceuticals (medicines) basic components/ingredients often are herbal or plant based. Today it is quite common to use natural alternatives versus chemicals/medications, which can also have side effects.

Antioxidants

Back in the 1950's, Denham Harman proposed the theory of free radicals and disease and became the forefront in health and wellness with alternatives in prevention by use of antioxidants.

Free radicals are unstable molecules produced when your body breaks down food or when your body is exposed to radiation or contaminants. If unchanged they produce an "oxidative" state on cell membranes (DNA) causing cell death and destruction. This "oxidative stress" has been found to play a role in the development of many diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, glaucoma, heart disease/stroke, Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis and many other health anomalies.

One of the best ways to fight free radicals is with the ingestion of foods rich in antioxidants. Antioxidant use (homesis) alters and removes free radicals and the effects of oxidation. For example, a cut apple left open to air turns brown. But if you put lemon juice on the apple it doesn't turn brown (oxidation). The vitamin C of the lemon is the antioxidant.

Types of antioxidants/natural substances can neutralize free radicals and protect against "oxidative stress." Foods rich in antioxidants are numerous berries (acai/gogi/noni/cranberry), pomegranate, dried beans, cocoa/dark chocolate, teas (green/black/oolong/white), wheatgrass, etc.

Obesity

Recently a headline in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle (Sept. 22), stated "Wyoming obesity rate on the rise" referencing a new report on Wyoming's state of obesity. One in three adults in Wyoming is medically obese.

In 2014, the adult obesity rate in Wyoming was 29.5 percent (one-third of the population) making it the 27th fattest state nationwide. Prior to that, in 2013, it was 27.7 percent, an increase of almost 2 percent (population 549,914). The rate has dramatically increased over past 20 years: In 1995 it was only 14 percent of the state's population but now it has almost doubled.

If we could be overweight with causing major health problems but it's impossible to have be both obese and healthy. Obesity contributes to numerous health issues from heart disease, high blood pressure/cholesterol and diabetes, and it can even lead to some causes of cancer. But most important, it greatly alters one's quality of life and longevity -- living a productive, meaningful life. And bottom line, disease is expensive, both to the patient and to the state.

In Wyoming, from July 2013 to July 2014, there were:

11,847 heart-related hospitalizations resulting in $410,417,973 in costs

1,635 stroke-related hospitalizations resulting in $50,279,002 in costs

7,088 diabetes-related hospitalizations, resulting in $232,825,611 in costs

The total spent in Wyoming from 2013 to 2014 was almost $883 million!

These costs reflect only inpatient and do npt include any outpatient services. The biggest expense is lost productivity.

What can Wyoming do to change now and stop the rising obesity and associated health compromises? Realize this is a very serious situation and use all available resources to promote health and wellness. Incorporate use of healthy natural supplements, while monitoring diet and exercise into a daily regimen not only for adults but also within families/children.

The solution is not living in denial or repudiation of the facts that if Wyomingites don't do something now to alter their health, their legacy and rich history will come to an end -- their last rodeo. 

Source: Austin: The growing burden of chronic disease in Wyoming