Our Health Paradigm

I watched with interest a TV show yesterday that looked at two sides of the UK benefits system.

Ordinarily, this would not be something that I would have much interest in as I am not a big fan of the concept and avoid shows that wallow in such matters on principle. What probably held my attention long enough to get me watching was a story about an elderly couple who had defrauded the system of over 2.5 million pounds.

I was fascinated to see whether anything would be done about it. This soon became secondary to me.

There was also a story about a middle-aged lady who had her 10 year-old daughter dressing her, bathing her and tending to her every need. You see, this lady suffered from osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia and needed her daughter to help her with the daily basics we take for granted.

She also felt extremely guilty about being what she perceived as an imposition on her own young child. When asked how she felt, the child bravely confessed that the situation was difficult as her mother squirmed with embarrassment.

Basically, some concerned citizen helped her fill out the necessary paperwork, leading to a monthly cash entitlement that allowed her to fund a full-time adult carer ... and free up her daughter so she could enjoy life like any "normal" ten year old.

On the surface, a lovely story. This mum was so touched that she was no longer a burden on her daughter. And State funds had come to the rescue of someone truly in need.

This poignant tale also saddened me on a number of other levels.

First, the sick lady's doctor had told her her condition was irreversable. She related this "fact" with a degree of grim stoicism. Now our friend was quite a large lady (as was her young daughter) which got me thinking that her woes were largely diet related. But I'm not a doctor, so how inappropriate of me to make such an assumption.

This possibility of diet as a potential causative factor also quite clearly never even entered the equation, or it would surely have been mentioned. Why not? I can only speculate.

The State obviously didn't see it as an issue. Why not? Perhaps because her doctor didn't. Again, speculation on my behalf.

Or do we just not talk about something that personal?

Here were two people, a mother and a daughter, who quite obviously were dreadfully unhappy with their lot. Their doctor had given them no hope. Nor had he/she raised diet as a factor, in spite of their physical appearance. At least not to the degree where it was at all worthy of comment.

And the state was perfectly happy to continue funding this sorry situation to its inevitable conclusion. More dependance. More cost. Continued perpetuation of a paradigm that is becoming more and more deep-seated in today's benefit-dependent culture.

And with all the millions at its disposal, not one expert will step forward to raise the issue of diet. In fact, more and more money will be spent trying to find a cure, or at least a mitigator to control the ever-increasing burden on State resources.

Doctors. Dieticians. Panels of highly qualified experts and legislators. All will conveniently ignore the two truths most fundamental to this most serious of issues.

First, consumption habits are the cause of the lion's share of this suffering ... and people like this sweet lady and her smiling daughter will never know the truth.

And second, her diagnosis of "hopelessly dependant for life with things getting progressively worse" virtually ensures that these two individuals (and millions more now and in the future) will continue to deplete the finite resources of a system that fosters more lies and more wretched dependance.

What a tragic waste of potentially productive lives! When will someone finally come to their senses and stop the rot. That 10 year-old child is likely to end up just like her mother. Riddled with pain. Unaware of her true options. Dependant for life. And convinced that she is a victim of her own bad genetics or random misfortune.

Is there no-one else out there who sees this? Maybe not.