Local health-care professionals seek to solve epidemic health-care crisis By Dr. Jason Weniger and Dr. Larry Arbeitman The Crisis According to a report from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the cost of overall health care in the United States has doubled from 1993 to 2004 and the costs are only getting higher.More than 15 percent of our Gross Domestic Product is currently spent on medical care.That means that for every $100 in our economy,we spend $15 to cover the cost of Americans being sick. So where does this money come from? Simply, it comes from our pockets, directly from our hard earned money. It is paid from a portion of every dollar you spend and a higher cost on the products and services we buy on a daily basis. For example, Starbucks spends more money on health care for its employees than on coffee. GM spends more on health care than on steel for its cars. Every time you buy a product or a good, 15 cents of every dollar you spend goes toward paying for diagnosis and treatment. The three biggest expenses we all incur are the increased costs of hospital care, clinical services and prescription drugs.The reason that these costs keep rising is because more people are sick and have to utilize them more frequently than in the past.The rising expenses are not the cause of the crisis, but merely a symptom of how serious this problem has become.These increasing costs and increasing incidences of sickness in society are bankrupting Americans.According to a study conducted by the journal,Health Affairs, and confirmed by a Harvard study, half of all bankruptcies in the United States are the result of the high cost of health care associated with being sick. Most of these people are middle class with 56 percent having a college education and owning a home.The enormous healthcare cost would be well justified if it resulted in better health of our population.However, that is not the case.According to theWorld Health Organization, the United States is ranked only 15th out of 25 industrialized nations based on infant mortality, health-care access and the incidence of degenerative disease.Despite the remarkable advancements in drug therapy and surgery over the last decade, as a society we are sicker than ever. So do we need more drugs and surgery to solve the problem or do we simply need more people less sick? The answer is not better health through better chemicals but better health through better living. The solution The above statistics may have created an alarming reaction inside you as you read them.But again, these numbers are not the cause,which means that they can be avoided.The true cause of the health-care crisis in America is that there are just too many sick people due to poor lifestyle choices. Often it is common for people to react to an illness rather than making healthier,more beneficial lifestyle choices and being proactive with their health.The good news is when you become a proactive agent for your health and your body and help build an active healthy future by making the proper lifestyle decisions now. As wellness providers,we realize that this matter is extremely serious and we are seeking a solution.We are reaching out to the community in order to help them implement proper lifestyle choices. It is always wiser to prevent disease from happening at all than to react once it appears for you or your family. We feel that it is our duty to help our community be less sick. On Feb. 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., leading wellness providers will be gathering and performing complimentary consultations at aWellness Fair in Marlboro. The following health-care disciplines will be represented: holistic dentistry, acupuncture, naturopathy, upper cervical chiropractic,massage therapy,personal training and Everything Natural health food and supplements. This will be a great opportunity for you to meet and consult with these wellness professionals at no charge. Find out how you can change your health destiny and ensure you and your family a healthier future.You will be able to explore some of the latest services and technology being used in the wellness arena today.TheWellness Fair will be taking place at Upper Cervical Chiropractic of Monmouth, 25 Kilmer Drive Bldg 3-Suite 101 in Marlboro. For more information, call (732) 617-9355 (WELL).