According to the CDC, half of all adults in the USA have at least one chronic disease. According to the National Council on Aging, 92% of older adults (I do not know what age, but lets assume over 65) have at least one chronic disease and a disturbing 77% have at least two.
Chronic disease include heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and some lung conditions. These are often preventable. Lifestyle factors that increase the risk of these conditions are physical inactivity, being overweight, poor diet, and smoking.
I have noticed that many pharmacies, like the one at my local grocery store, offer FREE generic diabetes medication. I imagine that this is because they will make money when they charge customers for all their other medications (because so many of them have more than one disease).
I know people who say that they want to eat what they like (and as much as they like), that they are "fat and happy" and that they don't care to exercise. Some of them get upset with people like me who support governmental policies that encourage dietary moderation (restraint) and try to reduce the amount of time people spend sitting.
But in the end, I am just trying to save them money and increase their healthy, active years of living. Though I could put the drug companies out of business if everyone listened to me!.
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