| Chris Rock's brilliant stand-up routine | | | | expensive. The drug companies aren't |
| includes some riffs on the ubiquitous | | | | interested in saving your life; they're |
| television drug commercials that "keep naming | | | | interested in taking your money.As Critser |
| symptoms till they get one" that the viewer | | | | points out and Rock implies, drug companies |
| has. Even if the ads don't mention what it is | | | | are driven by profits and have used their |
| the medicine is supposed to do: "You see a | | | | power to influence many areas of medicine. |
| lady on a horse or a man in a tub, and they | | | | What is most unfortunate is that this has |
| just keep naming symptoms: 'Are you | | | | resulted in many biased studies, which |
| depressed?' 'Are you lonely?' 'Do your teeth | | | | ultimately lead to misleading information to |
| hurt?'" Even "'Do you go to bed at night and | | | | the public. In addition, health costs are |
| wake up in the morning?' They got that one!" | | | | rising through the roof, and shortly we will |
| he adds. "I got that. I'm sick. I need that | | | | be spending over $2 trillion a year for |
| pill!"The New York Times quotes Chris Rock as | | | | health care in the United States! It is safe |
| part of its review of Greg Critser's new | | | | to estimate that over three-fourths of this |
| book, Generation RX. This book examines how | | | | money is wasted on short-term fixes, |
| baby boomers and their offspring have become | | | | primarily drugs and surgeries, which in no |
| the most medicated generations in history, | | | | way address the long-term cause of the |
| taking pills that promise to "do everything | | | | problem. Further, the far-too-cozy |
| from guarding us against our excesses of | | | | relationship between government agencies like |
| drink, food and tobacco, to increasing our | | | | the FDA and major drug companies lets Big |
| children's performance at school, to | | | | Pharma get away with practically anything |
| jump-starting our own productivity at work, | | | | they want. This has much to do with why I'm |
| to extending our very time on this mortal | | | | so focused on my vision of exposing the |
| coil."Critser traces the massive growth of | | | | existing medical paradigm's techniques, |
| drugs claiming to do everything to the | | | | habits and messages that have put your health |
| loosening and speeding up of the regulatory | | | | and that of the American public in grave |
| processes that used to keep the big | | | | danger.The key to caring for illnesses is to |
| pharmaceutical companies in check. As an | | | | focus on finding the underlying cause of the |
| onslaught of money and lobbyists has made the | | | | problem. It is possible to maintain total |
| government increasingly willing to do the | | | | health by avoiding unnecessary drugs and by |
| bidding of drug companies, and doctors are | | | | gaining a comprehensive understanding of good |
| similarly besieged with advertising, the | | | | nutrition and proper lifestyle choices. Here |
| barriers between Big Pharma and the public | | | | are some general guidelines to achieving good |
| have grown thin and porous. New York Times | | | | health (without the use of harmful drugs) |
| September 30, 2005 Registration Required Dr. | | | | that seem to hold true for all |
| Mercola's Comment:Chris Rock's routine is | | | | people:Eliminate sugar and grains Eat |
| right on the money. It's great that the | | | | unprocessed, high-quality foods, organic if |
| social critics like Rock and the muckrakers | | | | possible, right for your metabolic type Eat |
| like Critser are exposing the truth about | | | | your food as close to raw as possible Have |
| what's going on in the drug industry. | | | | omega-3 fish oil Exercise regularly This |
| Sometimes it's so ridiculous you just have to | | | | article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the |
| laugh.But it's also a serious issue. For | | | | world's #1 most visited and trusted natural |
| those of you who regularly read my | | | | alternative health website. For a limited |
| newsletter, you know that I strongly advise | | | | time only, you can take the FREE "Metabolic |
| AGAINST using drugs when possible. And, | | | | Type Test" to help you learn the right foods |
| though drugs are sometimes appropriate and at | | | | for your particular body type so you can |
| times can save a person's life, most of the | | | | achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to |
| time they are unnecessary, harmful and | | | | right now to take this quick test! |