Salutary Action is a provocative treatise on the obesity epidemic in America. The text discusses theories of the causes of obesity, the industries that are profiting from the American obese population and what is necessary to stem the epidemic. With unflinching clarity, Salutary Action identifies how pharmaceutical companies, the dialysis industry, the fast food industry and governmental protection agencies are reaping large financial benefits from the fattening of United States citizens. Greed is evident in every facet of disparity of healthcare in America, the rise in obesity and co-morbidities. There is complicity of the American government for the "fattening of America" as reflected in laws put in place to protect the guilty and the persons put in positions of power within the Food and Drug Administration and United States Department of Agriculture. Refusing to acknowledge things, like multi-billion-dollar industries that market candy cereal to children and then diet pills to adults; food industry putting additives in foods that addict the population to high calorie foods; that studying the "Obesity Epidemic" is profitable to many governmental agencies and the generation of environmental agents that modify human metabolism to retain increased fat, is asking for the continued trend of increasing obesity. Contrary to best health principles, some companies have resorted to disguising the use of sugar in health food products to lull the public into buying them believing that they contain more wholesome nutrients. Chobani, a yogurt company, uses the term "evaporated cane juice" on its label, despite warnings from the Food and Drug Administration not to use the phrase since "evaporated cane juice" is just sugar, and not a juice. What is glaringly obvious is that pharmaceutical companies are benefiting from the diseased state of Americans. After 50 years, no organized action has been successful in "slimming down" America and there is good evidence that "personal profit" is more the motivation for discussing obesity than getting America to a healthier state. Pharmaceutical companies' earnings were in the billions of dollars in 2010. Taxpayers spend more than $20 billion a year to care for those on dialysis as a results of obesity associated conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension -- about $77,000 per patient, while the United States continues to have one of the industrialized world's highest mortality rates for dialysis care. ProPublicaan, an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest, reviewed thousands of dialysis centers' inspection reports and interviewed more than 100 patients, advocates, doctors, policy makers, researchers and industry experts to get a grasp on American dialysis. The findings showed that from coast to coast, patients commonly receive treatment in settings that are unsanitary. Industry consolidation has left patients with fewer choices of providers. The government's payment policies for dialysis have created financial incentives that works against better patient care, while enabling for-profit corporations to control dialysis treatment as a business. When the end-stage-renal-disease program began, hospitals provided most of the care on a nonprofit basis. But spurred by the guarantee of Medicare money, the marketplace met the growing demand for services through the expansion of for-profit companies. The government's payment rules have given big providers, a financial edge over smaller ones, spurring consolidation. Salutary Action encourages Americans to take control of their health. Make informed daily choices about healthy eating. Avoid liquid sugars and eat whole foods like fresh raw vegetables; switch from fried foods to grilled foods, eat much less processed foods; adopt a healthier lifestyle Don't rely on doctors or pharmaceuticals to feel your best.
About the Author: Dr. Velva Boles is a physician-scientist, graduate of University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Duquesne University Chemistry Department; North Carolina State University Biology Department; post-graduate training include graduate work at Colorado State University Biochemistry Department and PhD. Concordia University in Health Sciences; Disease-mapping at Center for Disease Control (CDC) Zoonotic Division in Fort Collins, Colorado and medical graduate training at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dr. Boles enjoys people and problem-solving. She has worked as a counselor for women, victims to domestic violence; problem resolution consultant for couples' counseling and is recognized has been a certified medical investigator since 2006. She counsels families of veterans who exhibit symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome. Dr. Boles is also an Adjunct Professor at Louisiana State University at Alexandria.