Good posts, everyone.
Absolutely, Remy! Eating right & exercising is a HUGE part in keeeping healthy mentally AND physically. I'm not saying you have to do an hour of cardio every day or lift heavy weights or eat only vegetables. But a daily walk around the block does wonders.
So does cutting some of the garbage out of your diet. Take some vitamins - it certainly can't hurt.
Unfortunately, most people want the easy way out. I compare it to trying to fill a bucket of water that has a hole in it but not bothering to repair the leak. Sure, it will fill up but you'll need more & more water faster & faster to keep it up. Eventually you have to repair the cause of the problem, not just tape it up & hope for the best.
As for the drug companies, I go back & forth. There are no more free vacations & cruises for docs given by the companies, and lunches/dinners must be accompanied by actual education about the drug & the condition it treats. I do miss my pens & pads of paper though.
And seeing a drug's name on something certainly didn't make me recommend that drug any more than another to patients, so making that illegal is kind of silly, IMO. And yes, the drug companies make a lot of money, but they also spend tons on research & assisting low income folks to pay for their meds.
I do think the TV & magazine advertising is awful. Like Luke said, it's great that patients are informed but they are only getting part of the story. They come in to the office & demand a certain drug, then get pissed when the doc won't prescribe it because they feel it's not the best choice for that patient. I can't tell you how many complaints I've received that "I came in for a prescription but the doc wouldn't give it to me."
Um. Too f*cking bad. This isn't a takeout restaurant. You don't walk in & place your order & get whatever you want or think you need.
Ed -
forced to learn through their patients? Really? I don't know about that. It's not like the drug rep can't leave you literature or that you can't do some online research. Missing those free dinners, huh?
BTW - we're getting free lunch today. I will come back & tell you all about what I learned.
