Active living competes with Big Pharma
Being part of a trillion dollar industry doesn’t mean corporations are evil for developing anti-depressants, but it does mean their motives matter.
Pharmaceuticals is a trillion dollar industry.
About 70% of Americans take at least one prescription drug. More than 20% take at least five. A whopping 80% of Americans over age 57 are taking prescribed medication. With that in mind, consider the following claim:
Big Pharma lobbies for infrastructure that promotes walking & cycling, even though physical activity reduces the need for pills.
I’ve been asking planners, engineers, and architects about their gut reaction to that statement. It’s useful to force a binary choice.
YES. I believe pharmaceutical lobbying efforts are motivated by getting people healthy, even if it lowers profits.
NO. I believe pharmaceutical lobbying efforts are motivated by profit, even if it means customers remain unhealthy.
Lobbying is a way to influence legislation. Big Pharma’s efforts dwarf other industries, even Big Oil. The pharmaceutical industry spent $250 million lobbying for one Covid-19 funding package. They spend money to make money.
I’m not here to place judgment on Big Pharma, but I am curious and skeptical of any industry that generates so much wealth. (You should be, too.) Being part of a trillion dollar industry doesn’t mean corporations are evil for developing anti-depressants, but it does mean their motives should be kept top of mind.
Alright, let’s put the drug makers on a shelf for a minute.
What do doctors say about active living?
Helps in the treatment of many diseases including depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis. (Harvard Medical School)
Improves brain health and the ability to think, reduces the risk of anxiety and depression, improves sleep and overall quality of life. (U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services)
Lack of physical activity can lead to more visits to the doctor, more hospitalizations, and more use of medicines for a variety of illnesses. (National Institute of Health)
Interesting that NIH says Americans would pop fewer pills if they were more active.
Here’s a useful article from a mental health & wellness nonprofit. You already know that exercise is good for your body. But did you know it can also boost your mood, improve your sleep, and help you deal with depression, anxiety, stress, and more? They give some insight about the connection between physical activity and depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, stress, and more.
Prescribe walk-friendly, bike-friendly infrastructure!
I’m not the first to think of this. If walking and bicycling have the power to heal minds and bodies, then prescribing active living should always be on the table. But doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, and other medical professionals will face resistance from their own industry.
I’ll leave you with this quote from journalist Upton Sinclair:
It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.