Max Rahubovskiy/pexels.com
A few weeks ago, while I was taking a break from a busy ER shift in the doctor’s lounge, the television was on, and commercials were airing. The first two were promoting popular fast-food restaurant chains. The third was an advertisement for a chocolate cookie produced by a famous cookie company. Finally, the fourth was touting the benefits of a well-known prescription medication to help control the metabolic derangements caused by type 2 diabetes (DM2).
Watching this sequence of promotions, I was struck by how absurd and illogical this seemed. As many of you may be aware, DM2 is predominantly a disease of lifestyle—individuals develop this disease by consistently eating unhealthy foods. It is preventable and reversible by living a healthy lifestyle. And here were three commercials endorsing foods that can lead to the development of DM2, followed by a commercial advocating for a medication that can help control the damage created by DM2, which, of course, was caused by the foods advertised in the preceding ads.
Please realize that I am not telling anyone what they should and should not eat—that is a personal choice. I share this story because it stirred my thoughts and raised questions in my mind, and I hope it does the same for you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I hope that you enjoyed it and found it informative. Feel free to leave comments and also feel free to share it with anyone that you think may benefit from it.