Saturday, December 20, 2008

Vegetarian Diet Best For Unhealthy Americans

The high cost of health care, particularly company-sponsored health care, is one of the reasons for the USA's current economic crises. It has been suggested, in some quarters, that a move towards a vegetarian lifestyle, with less dependence on meat, including burgers and the like, could stop the rot.

It has recently been announced, that the American automobile industry is to get an injection of more than $17 billion, to help them stay in business. President George Bush has publicly stated that it would be unthinkable to allow the industry to collapse. General Motors have suggested that one reason the company is in trouble is the high cost of employee health care. They have intimated that the enormous cost of doctor's bills, and hospitalization, together with prescription drug costs is prohibitive. Apparently, it all adds up to require loading around $1,500, on to the cost of each vehicle produced.

The problem is that the work force is so unhealthy, due to some considerable extent to poor diet. It could help if the advantages of vegetarian style food were better promoted. Around two thirds of the population are overweight and about 24 million suffer from diabetes, and there are many other preventable afflictions. Associated health care costs are phenomenal, and it seems apparent that if the nation as a whole could be persuaded to get involved in healthier lifestyles, people would be happier, and their employers more globally competitive.

A few individuals have come to realize the benefits of a vegetarian based diet. If they haven't done so already it is to be hoped that top managers will follow their example. They are in a unique position, to influence those who work for them to embark on healthy lifestyles, and a good place to start would be with their diets. They don't need to be too severe to start with, because a few vegetarian meals are better than none. It should not be too difficult to demonstrate that people who eat sensibly are less liable to fall ill.

It is all a matter of how these things are put across, but communication is supposed to be the thing that top managers are good at. If they were encouraged to think about it, most people would prefer to stay healthy, and in the process help the organizations they work for remain viable. The trouble is they are not often encouraged to think about it, so they don't, and they put on weight instead. They may foolishly believe that vegetarian food is no sort of alternative to a 'proper' meal. For many, it is only a matter of time before they succumb to one of the many illnesses that are related to poor diet and lack of enjoyable exercise. Unfortunately the companies they work for suffer too, as they strive to meet the upward spiral of health care costs.

The captains of industry would have a much better chance of staying afloat if they concentrated a bit more on the health and well being of their employees. A move towards a vegetarian lifestyle, at least in part, would seem a good place to start to improve the well being of their workers, and possibly company balance sheets at the same time. There may seem to be not a great deal you can do in times of economic downturn. But if a new way of thinking about eating produced a healthier workforce and vibrant company, it should be worth a try.

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natural health