How can the U.S. significantly reduce health-care costs, and yet plan on increased employment in the health-care industry? According to the article linked below, this is the moral crux for American medicine. If Americans become healthier, there will be fewer jobs. Maybe this is why modern medicine drags its feet when it comes to preventive medicine.

The government is complicit in spawning the diabetes/obesity epidemic by subsidizing the production of non-nutrient-dense foods and high-fructose corn syrup. Statin anti-cholesterol drugs are approved by the FDA even though they don’t reduce mortality rates. Modern medicine is an industry that wants more, not less, disease to treat. Doctors aren’t interested in disease prevention -- conventional medicine is quick to dismiss any truly preventive therapies as unproven and requiring more study.

Still, an estimated 38 percent of U.S. adults, along with 12 percent of children, use some type of complementary and alternative medicine, according to a new U.S. government survey.

Complementary and alternative medicine refers to a wide-ranging collection of medical and health care systems, practices and products that aren't generally considered conventional medicine. They include herbal supplements, meditation, chiropractic treatment and acupuncture.

For the survey, more than 23,300 adults were interviewed about their use of complementary and alternative medicine. More than 9,400 were also asked about their children's use of complementary and alternative medicine.

The survey found that the use of techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, massage therapy, and yoga increased significantly. The most common supplements used by adults are omega 3 fats, glucosamine, echinacea, flaxseed, and ginseng.

Other findings from the survey showed that more women than men use complementary and alternative medicine (42.8 percent versus 33.5 percent). Older, more educated and wealthier adults also used complementary and alternative medicine in greater numbers.

It’s no wonder that 38 percent of American adults have opted for alternative medicine. Where else can the public turn? Many patients are belittled when they tell their doctors they are taking dietary supplements instead of prescription drugs.

Americans are increasingly distrustful of prescription medicines. According to a 2005 poll, 35 percent of Americans who were prescribed drugs didn’t take them because they wanted to save money, and another 28 percent didn’t take them because of "frightening side effects.

It is becoming increasingly clear that conventional medicine is working against the public welfare.

Here at Dr. Mercola's Natural Health Center (formerly the Optimal Wellness Center) we treat you from the paradigm that wellness is the ability to successfully create and achieve your own goals as defined by the purpose of your life.

We help you move toward complete wellness by helping you discover and understand the hidden causes of your most perplexing health challenges... and create a customized and comprehensive treatment plan for you.

Our goal is to educate you and create an awareness that allows you to make smart and natural health choices toward your deepest vibrant health and wellbeing.

You can take personal control of your health -- we're your mentors and cheerleaders. You're the captain of your (health) ship. We help you by providing vital information and analysis -- like the instruments on your ship. Feedback that's important for your navigation -- for your success.

We look forward to supporting and assisting you in your journey toward your new state of wellness.

Dr. Joseph Mercola
3 January 2009

for more information, visit www.Mercola.com

Source: http://Mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/01/03/the-growing-war-between-modern-medicine-and-the-public.aspx

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