If you are an American you understand the challenge we face when it comes to the cost of health care. In fact 66% of bankruptcies are due to medical bills. That’s about 530,000 families that file for bankruptcy every year in the U.S.
The cost of being overweight
Being obese is associated with an extra $2,500.00 in medical costs annually. Just to be clear, being obese is categorized as having a body mass index of 30 or higher. How heavy is that? Well, I am at the high end of normal with a BMI of 24.8. If I gain a pound or two I’ll be within the overweight category. If I gain 24 pounds I’ll be in the obese category. So the threshold for me is pretty tight. I’m careful to watch my weight because I’ve read that managing my weight is one thing I can do to maintain my health.
Overall the cost to Americans for medical care related to obesity is nearly 150 billion dollars every year. According to an article published on the National Institute of Health weight loss of 5-10% can have significant health consequences. If losing about 10 to 20 pounds as a person who is around the 200 pound mark can improve health outcomes, which can save money, well, I love the idea that we can lose a little weight and also save money.
Health matters
Being healthy is one of the most critical steps to take when considering your finances. I want to invest my money not waste it on medical bills. If being lighter will help me in that endeavor I’m going to do my best.
About two decades back, when I was in my early forties I became I’ll with rheumatoid arthritis. Because I’d had negative experiences with some doctors I saw, I was reluctant to get professional help. Of course in retrospect this was a huge mistake. I could have saved myself a ton of pain and a lot of money.
Before I finally broke down and saw a doctor I would scour the internet looking for solutions for my increasingly bad joint pain. I don’t know for sure how much I spent on health store solutions, like glucosamine, “joint health” capsules, aspercreme, over the counter pain relievers and more. I suspect it was thousands of dollars when it was all said and done. When I did finally see a doctor, he was able to help me with prescription drugs that actually worked and within a week I was back to feeling good again. What a waste of time and money for me to try to solve a serious autoimmune condition without the help of a professional. But I learned a lesson. Not all doctors are amazing people who are able to help you, but some are.
This is how I manage my health
I’m not a medical professional so I can’t address solutions to being overweight, but I can tell you the way I keep my weight in check.
- I eat mostly plant based food. I’m not 100% plant based, I just do my best and if I feel like an egg or a hamburger I don’t worry about it.
- I eat meals, and avoid snacking.
- I eat a fiber heavy breakfast and I eat a lot of beans.
- I go for walks and hikes; in fact I read recently that regular walking can reduce the incidence of chronic illness by 30%.
- I practice yoga.
- I schedule exercise so I don’t blow it off.
- I weigh myself regularly, and if I notice I’m allowing my weight to creep up, I make a few changes to get it back to where I like it. By the way I like to keep my weight at the high end of normal; I find as I age having a little extra weight keeps my face wrinkles at bay (so far).
- I eat two “big” meals each day with lunch as the most calorie dense meal. Later in the day I’ll have a light meal instead of a heavy dinner.
- I drink water and one cup of coffee each morning. Not soda, diet soda, juice, beer, wine, or other beverages. I just drink water.
- I get a good night’s rest. I never make good choices when I’m tired.
- I don’t bake much, but when I do I make the smallest recipe I can. For instance, I’ll halve a cookie recipe then after the cookies are baked I’ll freeze them so that I must plan to enjoy a cookie. I remove a couple from the freezer and thaw them to enjoy. I also halve boxed brownie mix to bake up and share with my grandkids when they come by.
- I almost never buy junk food or processed food. I almost never eat fast food.
- I meditate regularly. Mental health is health. Good mental health helps me make healthy choices.
- I also cuddle with my cat regularly. That is another way I support my mental health.
There is nothing earth shattering in this list, which makes sense because I’m not a health care expert, I’m a mature woman who could slip into pretty bad health habits with ease, but because I want my life to be intentional and because I want to save money on health care, I choose to remain focused on keeping my weight as near to normal as possible.
Other habits to keep you healthy
Beyond maintaining a healthy weight, I wear a seat belt, I floss my teeth and see a dentist regularly. I don’t drink and drive and I look both ways before I cross the street. I don’t text and drive or use my phone while I drive. These practices are for my health benefit. I never want to end up in an emergency room if I can avoid it.
I think of it like this, when I was younger (back when I was married) we would spend a good amount of time each ski season snowboarding in the mountains. We always had great fun, but I was always aware that avoiding getting hurt was a part of our fun. Once one person is hurt on the mountain, everyone stops having fun.
I saw a grandma bust her lip open when ice skating. It happened fast, and she couldn’t have done anything to react quickly enough to prevent the accident. It was remarkable to see a happy go lucky family transition to a quietly concerned family in a matter of seconds. The grandmother certainly needed stitches, and they were able to gather everyone together and hustle her off to the emergency room, but the family fun was shattered, instantly. Plus there will likely be a big bill down the road for her emergency visit.
My last word on health and money, think of your body like your car. It’s cheaper to maintain it than it is to go in for a major overhaul.
