In this video, Dr. Bret Scher discusses the current metabolic health crisis and how nutrition guidelines and government policies in the United States have failed to prevent poor health outcomes. As almost half of the U.S. adult population faces pre-diabetes or diabetes, Dr. Scher emphasizes the need for a radical change in how we approach food choices and health policies.
Transcript:
Don’t let the government tell you what to eat. You’ve likely seen the social media posts about recent meetings and sessions in Washington DC calling attention to our global metabolic health crisis and the role nutrition plays. Now, I’m thrilled with any attention we bring to the importance of metabolic health and we’re in dire need of our policymakers to understand the connection between the food we eat and the health crisis our country’s in. And let’s be honest, our healthcare and dietary systems have failed at preventing this epidemic of poor metabolic health. And given the impact of the US dietary guidelines on our schools and our military and elder care facilities and the government food policy as a whole, it’s clear we need a radical and drastic change. But perhaps the most important point is that we as individuals, don’t need the government to tell us how to eat. You don’t need to eat the way the government thinks you should. So let’s get into the details about how we can start to maybe address this metabolic health crisis. Welcome to Metabolic Mind, a nonprofit initiative of Baszucki Group transforming the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. Thank you for joining us on this journey.
We’ve all heard the horrific statistics, right that almost 50% of the US adult population has pre-diabetes or diabetes, and less than 10% have optimal metabolic health. Those are pretty bad statistics, and this is a problem that’s only gotten worse despite, you know, the government having guidelines about what constitutes a healthy diet and the healthcare industry supposedly committed to improving our health, but it’s gotten worse. And if that’s not clear evidence that something needs to drastically change, then I don’t know what is. Now this is a crucial topic that deserves unlimited attention. But before we get into the details again, please remember our channel is for informational purposes only. We’re not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice or establishing a provider patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discussed can have potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications. In addition, please recognize people may respond differently to ketosis and there isn’t one universal response.
Okay, now getting back to the content, I am thrilled with the attention that RFK Junior is bringing to this crucial topic of metabolic health and the impact of our food choices and our food environment as a whole. As he and many others have said, our metabolic health is a nonpartisan issue. And in the session he organized for policymakers featuring Calley Means, and Dr. Casey Means, Dr. Chris Palmer and so many others was eyeopening for how we can and should bring this critical information to our government policy makers. But surprisingly, or I guess maybe, unfortunately not so surprisingly, their efforts were met with pushback and skepticism from some in mainstream medicine and certainly in the media. Which makes me wonder like, how can promoting better health be so controversial? Why do we assume there’s one path to health? And we know all the answers, so we don’t need anyone else or to explore anything else? It just doesn’t make sense. I mean, I’ll let you answer that question for yourself as there are many potential, I guess, unsavory answers you could say. But luckily, I mean, it appears that this is the first of potentially a wave of sessions directed at our policymakers.
We’re also closely watching the Metabolic Revolution rally in Washington DC on October 13th. Those with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo may also look unfavorably at this rally and any others that follow. But what more will it take to realize that what we are doing as a country, as a healthcare institution isn’t working? What more will it take to realize we need an overhaul of our policy for the sake of our health and the health of our children?
Now, unfortunately, with history as our guide change will likely come slowly, if at all, which brings me to the most important point of this message. As individuals, we don’t need to wait for the government or the healthcare system to change. We control what we eat. Yes, policies, control the prices and the availability and what institutions can do, but we choose how we live and how we eat. I, for one, will never let the government tell me what is healthy for me or my patients. There’s too much evidence and too many remarkable stories of people transforming their health and their lives by eating the opposite of the way we’re told to eat. Yes, our policies need to change, but we don’t have to wait for them to change to take control of our own health. Thank you for watching. I’m Dr. Bret Scher. I hope this was helpful, and we’ll see you here next time at Metabolic Mind, a nonprofit initiative of Baszucki Group.
