When we consider the immense amount of money spent on healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry in the United States, we might assume that Americans are the healthiest people in the world. Our assumption would be wrong.
The American population is becoming obese, to the point of being called an epidemic. Is this because of too much food? Because of a lack of rigor in diet and exercise? Because of too many artificially created foods and livestock stuffed with hormones? Because of the immense amount of sugar ingested by Americans?
When is mass-produced food too much? Chickens raised for fast-food restaurants across the country are grown like plants in barns, without any chance to roam. Cows are raised in huge pens and not allowed to run free across the range. Fruits and vegetables are altered and reduced to one type to fill the demands of a hungry population used to getting what it wants.
Could the obesity problem be due to too many medicines? What studies have been conducted linking weight gain to the use of multiple medications? One wonders if medications may cause abnormal levels of hunger.
For example, Prednisone, a drug for cancer patients, is used to suppress the immune system, and its side effects include increased hunger. What if increased hunger is a general side effect of most pharmaceuticals? What if, in addition to the amazingly poor diet of the average American, prescription and over-the-counter drugs also contribute to increases in appetite?
If Tennessee drug treatment results in reduced ingestion of drugs, perhaps the beneficial side effects will be weight loss, better nutrition, and overall better health.
