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Small Steps to Big Savings

By Kathleen Sams-Joslin, MMSC, PA-C

As a physician assistant who sees patients in primary care, I’m often asked questions such as, “Why am I on so much medicine?” or “What can I do to get off some of these prescription drugs?”  Many patients are frustrated with having to take multiple medications for conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.  Although swallowing a pill is easy and may seem like a quick solution, many medications come with unwanted side effects and can be expensive.  The last thing people want to spend their hard earned money on is medicine, especially in this economy.

Increasing exercise and making healthier diet choices could slim your waistline, and also fatten your wallet!

One reason for the extraordinary prevalence and cost of prescription medications is that we, as medical providers, are seeing more and more patients with dangerous chronic conditions that need treatment.  In the last 10 years, the rate of obesity in the U.S. has reached a critical level, leading to a greater occurrence of diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.  Pharmaceutical companies have kept up with this trend by supplying medications to help prevent and treat these problems.  However, there exists another opportunity that may, for some, decrease the need for medications to treat certain chronic conditions - diet and exercise.

We’ve all heard this buzz phrase, “diet and exercise” over and over.  The recommendation has remained the same over the years - maintaining a healthy weight, along with regular exercise, is universally accepted as a mainstay of disease prevention.  However, many people find the concept of a diet and exercise plan overwhelming, especially for working parents with busy families.  Crash diets certainly are unappealing and impractical to most.  And 30 minutes of daily exercise can quickly turn into an hour and a half when you begin to factor in the time it takes to get to your gym, change clothes, do your routine, then shower or clean up afterwards to return to the rest of your day.  Most of us don’t have that kind of time.  No wonder many well-intentioned people abandon the idea and end up disregarding this basic yet important recommendation.

Patients often ask, “How can I integrate diet and exercise into my daily routine without turning my life upside down?”  Fortunately, there are many things you can do to get more physical activity and healthier eating habits without making drastic changes.  For example, drinking a glass of water before a meal or eating off a smaller plate can help you decrease your portion sizes and cut calories.  Sneak exercise into your day by doing sit ups while watching your must-see TV show, or lift hand weights periodically when working at a desk.  The educational website www.smallstep.gov offers over one hundred tips on easy ways to exercise, cook, eat, and drink which can facilitate healthy habits. The website also offers an interactive tool to set goals for individuals, and offers further resources about obesity, teen health, and diet planning.

Currently in the United States, two out of three adults are overweight or obese.  Many of these people also pay hundreds of dollars each month for prescription drugs to maintain blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugars.  By adopting healthier lifestyle habits to achieve a normal body weight, it may be possible to substantially reduce the amount of medications that are needed for disease management and prevention.  Increasing exercise and making healthier diet choices could slim your waistline, and also fatten your wallet!

Kathleen Sam-Joslin, MMSC, PA-C, is a physician’s assistant with the practice of T. Stephen Balch, M.D., Internal Medicine. She can be contacted at 404-252-3771.