It’s a slightly tired old saying but nevertheless true that prevention is better than cure.
Fittingly, it’s a mantra that resonates particularly in the Health system. Appropriate investment in the prevention (and management) of disease and injury is far more cost effective and socially constructive than waiting for you to get sick and only then trying to fix you.
Gareth Morgan recently wrote a column in which he notes that every dollar invested in prevention produces four times the results gained by a dollar spent in treatment.
It’s not a new concept by any stretch of the imagination. Some responses to the challenge of preventing illness have been successful, others haven’t. Some have been politically palatable, others have been labeled ‘Nanny State’.
So here are some questions:
- What motivates you to be healthy?
- Are you motivated to be healthy?
- Can the Government motivate you to be healthier, if so how?
I’m keen to hear what you think because if we are really going to crack this one, we need to get alongside people and not just be telling them what’s best.
