People often say a big barrier to becoming healthier is that it’s too expensive. But is this really true? Could the cost of (future) chronic illness actually be MORE expensive than the cost of prevention? I’m sure you’ve heard the saying by Benjamin Franklin, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I’m a firm believer in this, so let’s take a deeper look together and see how the numbers actually stack up!

The Cost of Illness (or Pound of Cure)

I know that not everyone is a huge nerd like I am when it comes to numbers and statistics, and that’s okay! I’ll try not to bore you too much… But I think it’s important to get a background knowledge of the current status of our health as a country. In America, 90% of what we spend on healthcare each year goes towards covering the cost of treating chronic medical conditions and mental illness [1] and more than 50% of adults are on at least 1 prescription medication [2]! The reality is that millions of Americans who take prescriptions state they sometimes intentionally skip taking their medications because they struggle with the cost of their pills [3]. 

Not only this, people who have multiple chronic medical conditions are more likely to be hospitalized or require emergency room visits [4] and they often have to make more trips to the doctor's office each year in order to make sure their medical conditions are under control compared to someone who has no chronic medical conditions at all. All this quickly adds up to increased medical bills and, not to mention increased stress!

And then there are the things that are less easily measured that I see everyday in my work as a nurse practitioner and health coach. Patients struggling with feeling tired all the time, chronic aches and pains, shortness of breath doing small amounts of physical activity, missed days at work or family gatherings due to not feeling well, and some people even having to quit working earlier than they intended to altogether because their health didn’t hold up as long as they expected it to! I also see my patients and clients struggle with the burden of managing their chronic diseases, like consistently checking their blood pressure at home, monitoring their blood sugar multiple times a day, weighing themselves every morning and reporting it off to their healthcare provider, staying under a recommended daily fluid restriction, or remembering to take dozens of medications just to name a few!

All this sounds really exhausting doesn’t it? And not to mention expensive! I’m not saying this is everyone’s fate but, sadly, it’s not far from reality for many people, especially as we age! And as an NP and health coach, it breaks my heart to see so many of my fellow brothers and sisters struggling with their health because I know it doesn’t have to be this way. And I know there are ways to prevent (or even sometimes reverse!) chronic diseases which in the long run will cost less of our money and livelihood!

The Cost of Prevention (or Ounce of Prevention)

Let’s take high blood pressure, for example, because it’s one of the most common chronic medical conditions and a top reason for someone to be on a prescription medication. We, as healthcare providers and health coaches, know that there are several ways to reduce high blood pressure or maintain a healthy blood pressure that don’t require medication at all! For example, for those who are overweight and have high blood pressure, for every 2 pounds of weight they lose, their blood pressure will drop by 1 point on average. Doesn’t sound like much, right? But there’s more! Studies show that those who get an average of 30 minutes of physical activity each day can decrease their blood pressure by around 8 points! Also, making changes in your diet can lower your blood pressure by 11 points, and decreasing salt intake can take 6 points off your BP! Limiting alcohol can improve our blood pressure reading by an average of 4 points, and getting enough potassium in your diet can reduce your blood pressure by up to 5 points [5]!

Now you can see how that all starts to add up over time! Sometimes it's even enough to make it so someone doesn't have to go on a blood pressure medication or they can reduce the dose of their blood pressure medications or come off them altogether. Of course I would never advocate for someone to do any of these things without the guidance of their OWN healthcare provider first! And, of course there are situations where, despite all this, someone still has to be on a medication to manage their blood pressure, and that's okay! It doesn't mean you're a failure. We were all created wonderfully and differently and we all live in an imperfect world!

We also know that quitting smoking, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress can all lower our blood pressure as well [5]! Pretty cool, huh? And these are examples of how making simple changes in our day-to-day habits can make a big difference in just ONE chronic medical condition: high blood pressure. The GOOD news is these same lifestyle changes also support a healthy weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol, which, in turn, help with things like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, arthritis, and many other chronic diseases! Eating healthy and moving your body also improves your mood, which helps with things like depression and anxiety! 

Now, back to the main reason why you probably came to this blog in the first place! Isn’t eating healthier more expensive? Or what if I don’t have enough money to buy a gym membership? The GREAT news is that eating healthy is actually cheaper than eating unhealthy! WHAT?!? That’s right! I said it! New research shows that a family of 4 saves up $1,456 per year when they follow a Mediterranean-style diet instead of the Standard American Diet [6]. And the EVEN BETTER news is that moving your body doesn’t have to cost you a dime! Sure, you can spend money on a gym membership or a subscription for a workout app if you want to but there are so many free ways you can be physically active for those of us on a tight budget. You can walk, dance, do chair yoga, watch free workout videos online, go for a jog, stretch, do sit ups, play outside with your kids, climb the stairs, or even take a stroll at the local mall or grocery store. The options are endless!

And if your mind is still blown by the concept of healthy foods being less expensive than unhealthy foods then I encourage you to download my Totally Free Grocery Shopping Guide! It has countless tips on how to meal prep, create a grocery list (and stick to it!), easily swap out less healthy foods for more healthy alternatives, ways to save money on your grocery bill, avoid falling for expensive health gimmicks, and much more!

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Footnotes

[1] “Health and Economic Costs of Chronic Diseases.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 November 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/costs/index.htm. 

[2] “More Than Half of Americans Take Prescribed Meds Daily.” Statistica, 12 November 2023, https://www.statista.com/chart/31183/us-respondents-who-are-taking-prescribed-medicine/. 

[3] “CDC: Millions Skimp on Rx Meds Due to Cost.” AARP, 12 November 2023, https://www.aarp.org/health/health-insurance/info-2023/high-drug-prices-force-millions-to-skip-medications.html. 

[4] “Chronic Disease in the United States: A Worsening Health and Economic Crisis.” American Action Forum, 12 November 2023, https://www.americanactionforum.org/research/chronic-disease-in-the-united-states-a-worsening-health-and-economic-crisis/. 

[5] “10 ways to control high blood pressure without medication.” Mayo Clinic, 12 November 2023, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20046974. 

[6] “Eating a Mediterranean-Style Diet Is Good for You and Can Save You Money Too.” Healthline, 12 November 2023, https://www.healthline.com/health-news/eating-a-mediterranean-style-diet-is-good-for-you-and-can-save-you-money-too.