I was reading an article in the New York Times web site about debt in America.  The article had a nice break down of the world wide consumer debt burden and it’s distribution.  I clipped the article and saved the graphic to my desktop for later use. 

It came in handy.  Often times cross correlation between topics is important to have a complete appreciation of where we stand in this world.

Fast forward two weeks to Wednesday.  I went to my friend who is a Traveler’s Medicine doctor.  He specializes in immunizations for and treatment of diseases that are endemic or epidemics in the world.  Some of you might know, that in October I am going to Africa for two weeks to experience Mt. Kilimanjaro before the snow is gone (first time in history that this mountain will be without snow).  So before you go to Africa, you need to get all your shots.  Yellow Fever, Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid, etc etc etc.  While I was waiting for Dr. Kapoor to come in the room for the consultation, I was checking out the room.  Being a doctor, and being in another doctor’s office as a patient, you can’t help but to check out how the patient experience in their office differs from yours.

On the wall he has posters that relate to the status of these diseases around the world.  One poster that particularly caught my attention was a large poster that had little maps of the world (similar to the one above) that had each country shaded in one color relating the severity of a certain disease (e.g. Yellow Fever, Malaria etc.) in a certain area.  But that was not the interesting part.  What I noticed was the consistent color of the United States and North America in general… White.  There was no color.  Except for Lyme Disease, every other disease did not significantly effect our great country.

I found this interesting, because then I remembered my JPG of “What the World Owes” and I realized that we were the darkest country.  Meaning we owe the most money as individuals. 

This I found truly fascinating.  We are free from diseases that riddle the world, but we are infected with our own special form of disease.  Credit, debt and what I consider modern slavery.  Ironic don’t you think?  I think that this should be motivation for us as a people to change our society and aim for a spot on the map that is “white” for every version.  Imagine, no debt, and no disease.  Of course this example is somewhat overly simplified since we cannot be entirely disease free. 

We have one of largest per capita health care budgets in the world.  One might ask, “wait a minute Ali, you just said that the U.S. Didn’t have many diseases?”  Right.  Real diseases, we have pretty much eradicated from our day to day world.  But our way of life (and the photo above) brings with it, a whole new and wonderful set of presents!  Diabetes, Heart disease, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Obesity, Atherosclerosis, Depression, Attention Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) and Cancer.  The list goes one.  The point is that we have a whole new set of diseases that don’t exist in such numbers in the natural world.  The irony is that if you make the connection, you will see that these are “manufactured” disease by our way of life.

Take Diabetes for instance.  I have colleagues who dedicate their entire practice to this disease.  They have published, do research and prescribe Rx after Rx to control a disease that can be prevented by just living a different lifestyle.  This of course is not including the classic “type 1” diabetic which is genetic.

I find it sad that every seminar I attend for continuing medical education, the topics are the same: Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity and Cancer.  So I think it might be safe to say that according to all this data, the “average American” can be described as an debt ridden diabetic with clogged arteries who has 400 channels on their HD 60 inch plasma TV living in a house they can’t afford, with cars that get and average of 13 MPG.  Did I forget to mention their kids are on Ritalin but have an X-Box 360, and a Wii so they can play Guitar Hero, and a TV in each of their rooms?

All this energy we are putting into curing diseases that the cure is right under our noses (change our way of life) can be put into helping the world and other humans live a better life.  Not our life, just a little better.  A little happier, a little less suffering, a little less illness.  Most of the world diseases can be prevented with vaccination.  I got mine on Wednesday.  I walked into an office, sat in comfortable air conditioning, got a couple of shots, and now I am protected.  How sad that for such a small cost we think it is ok to let the rest of human beings suffer from this illnesses, AND we live a life that then leads to other new disorders that we are trying to solve and treat.  We won’t entertain the idea of changing out lifestyles… we keep putting money into fixing the diseases.  I love all the money and time wasted by companies like Pfizer and Lilly to come out with better cholesterol medications, better diabetic control medications.  All because we don’t want to get our butts off our couches, move our bodies more, eat how we were designed to eat and TURN OFF THE TV.

So we creatively create new financial products.  ARM loans, NegAM loans, and a slew of fancy credit products to keep the cycle of debtor, worker, debtor continue.

You can save yourself though.  The real world is a beautiful place.  Just try it one weekend.  Put on your tennis shoes, get your kids, or your wife/husband and go a local trail.  Listen to the sounds, smell the air, feel the cool expiration of the trees.  They are giving us life.  These old wise beings have been on this planet long before humanity, and they quietly and humbly give us the very basis of our existence… oxygen. 

On October 9th, 2008 I will summit Mt. Kilimanjaro.  After a 5 day climb through 5 differnt ecosystems, sahara, rain forests, and glaciers.  The summit hike will begin at 11:30 PM and at 19,340 ft. I will watch the sun rise over the earth.  This mountain is special.  It is one of the 7 Summits.  The 7 highest peaks on the 7 continents. Kilimanjaro is unique because it is the highest free standing mountain in the world.  I am looking forward to seeing this sunrise in particular.  In the cradle of life, Africa, without our modern amenities to give me shelter or comfort, I will wonder… “What’s happening on Desperate Housewives this week?”

Pay off your debt. Don’t be a consumer.  Eat like your ancestors.  And LIVE life.