by Dr. Scott Briggs

Have you ever noticed that money talks. I’m sure you have. Those with deep pockets seem to do the most talking. What does this mean for us as consumers? It means we need to carefully educate ourselves when it comes to matters of our health.

In my last post, ”What are We Eating” I stated, ” my parents were feeding me the diet that my pediatrician recommended to lose weight and it just so happened to be the most affordable.” Why are we so convinced that when it comes to our health cheap is better? We want cheap food, cheap health care, and cheap pharmaceuticals. I will put it to this way, sometimes cheap comes at a cost.

I will tread lightly on this subject as I do not want to overstep my bounds, we are all doing what we need to do to make a living and provide for our families. This issues lies with me and you as the end consumers. What steps are you taking to be an informed consumer?

Now that I have have crested over the 50 mark in age I am finding I have to be more diligent and intentional about the about the information I gather and the sources I use when it comes to my health. Although my health is still relatively good, for which I am truly grateful, many people in their early 50’s cannot say the same. Why were we so unconcerned about our health 25 years ago? I was concerned. I was still waging the war against my weight. I knew that Briggs men typically have their first heart episode around 55 years old. My father was first diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in his late teens while in the Navy. There is a history of heart issues and high blood pressure on my mothers side of the family. I have known my entire adult life I needed to be attentive and watch my diet. Yet here I am still fighting the same health issues I was when I was 25. Are any of you in the same boat?

What is driving this machine that is keeping Americans so unhealthy? As I research, I continue to come back to the almighty dollar. Whether we are discussing food, the system of healthcare that is predominately driven by pharmaceuticals, health insurance, or the governmental agencies that regulate and monitor these areas of our lives; there appears to be a common denominator that drives them all. Please don’t misinterpret my stance here, I am all for businesses showing profits, I need my business to show a profit. My struggle is with businesses and agencies that operate with little to no honesty and transparency. As consumers, we want to believe that the bigger systems are caring for us as much as they are concerned about their profits. Marketing companies are hired to create positive images for the products being sold. These images are created by using enticing imagery, and vocabulary that leads the consumer to believe the products are more or better than they are. Psychology is a powerful tool that marketers use to move consumers to their products or ideas.

I have said all this to simple say, consumers, we must use critical thinking, reasoning, and determination to carefully evaluate the products that are claiming to benefit out health. Dig deeper into the marketing, the psychology of the marketing, and who is paying for the marketing. Ultimately, marketing is an effort to persuade consumers to buy a particular product or agree with a particular stance. Even this blog is a marketing effort. I am so convinced of my beliefs about true health that I want you to see what I see and start taking the steps that I am taking. More than anything, I hope you will begin taking charge of your health and stop trusting a health care system that is really a sick care system. This responsibility fall on us and only us. Be an informed consumer.

Wishing you great health,

Dr. Scott

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Also, I am going to start to provide you “Dig Deeper” recommendations so you can further investigate the areas I am discussing. This week I would recommend, “Selling Sickness” and you can find/purchase by clicking the title.

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Dr. Scott Briggs is the owner of Briggs Family Chiropractic in Converse, IN. He has been a chiropractor for over 15 years. He has invited everyone to join him in his health journey for 2022. You can visit the first post on this to receive free helpful downloads. Click HERE to find that post. You can also follow us on Instagram (@briggsfamiychiropractic).

In full disclosure– if you purchase books or products from my site, I may receive a small commission from it. However, I will only recommend books/products that I believe in and can educate or help you.