Health care reform (HCR) is a necessity, but little true HCR is on the table for either Democrats or Republicans. Republicans want to privatize or abolish Medicare and Democrats want to increase taxes to fund skyrocketing health care costs. Neither approach represents HCR; they merely address how the present health care system might be sustained.
Dean Ornish, MD, posted an article in the Huffington Post in August of 2012 taking the position that we modify medical practice so we address the underlying causes of the epidemic of chronic diseases we're now facing by using lifestyle strategies to prevent or reverse them. There is an enormous database of scientific literature supporting this position that includes studies such as: the EPIC study, INTERHEART study, Highmark BLue Cross Blue Shield studies, and the Mutual of Omaha study.
Epigenetic studies, such as his study on prostate cancer have pioneered the way for considering lifestyle practices that can modify DNA and our genes.
