We have covered a lot of territory in this book, and now at the end we can summarize some of the major themes. First, we hope you noticed the parallel between government intervention in the health care and insurance sectors and medical intervention in the human body. Although it’s not always wise to draw analogies between different fields, in this case we think the comparison is a good one. As our historical survey demonstrated, each successive wave of federal “solutions” only spawned more problems— side effects, if you will. The public didn’t realize that the festering problems with US health care and insurance would largely resolve themselves if the natural forces of the market economy would only be allowed to function.
The public’s relative ignorance on such matters is entirely understandable, however, because legions of “experts” in academia and prestigious agencies assured them repeatedly that their tinkering would make things better. Over the decades, the US markets in health care and insurance had grown so hamstrung with mandates, penalties, regulations, and taxes that many Americans felt utterly dependent on their benefactors in Washington.
This pattern is exactly what happens at the level of personal well-being—viewing the human body as its own complex system, with its natural ability to self-regulate when operating in the proper framework. Here too, minor problems fester into major crises with successive waves of intervention from the medical industry. As we have documented in this book, it is tragically commonplace for a person to suffer from various medical conditions that are largely due to the “remedies” themselves. Here again, such people are not merely victims of their own foolishness; they have been led down this path by countless (and often well-meaning) scholars and professionals who don’t realize that their recommendations are only exacerbating the problem. Over the years, some people become enmeshed in so many layers of treatments that they feel helpless with their own bodies and become utterly dependent on outside benefactors—such as medical professionals and pills.
The second theme of the book is that a true solution must start with you, the individual. Only you have the knowledge of personal circumstances and the interest to ensure that a proper decision is made regarding your well-being. However, there is still an obvious need for you to seek out trustworthy information and to obtain needed health care services from qualified professionals. That is why we have equipped you in this book with the analytical framework and information sources to make such decisions.
We encourage you to widen the focus beyond nutrition and exercise, or even health care broadly conceived. The message of this book isn’t just about staying fit and out of the hospital; it’s about reducing stress and embracing independence as a way of life. Benefits will spill over into other areas of life, including your career and personal relationships.
Now that you have seen firsthand how to pierce through the jargon of government reports on the Affordable Care Act, and how to evaluate the pros and cons of medical screening, we hope you can generalize this approach to other areas. Yes, there are always going to be true experts in every walk of life who know more than you, but you must develop the ability and confidence to identify sincerity and reject charlatans. With the explosion of information available on the Internet, you have what you need to make an informed decision— but you need to know how to find and recognize the right information when you see it.
As a final takeaway message, let us caution you about the dangers of “evangelism.” Although it may be tempting for you to spread our message to your relatives, friends, and co-workers, there is a downside here as well. (Isn’t there always?) Knowledge can be both a blessing and a curse, and sometimes people who have had their myths shattered—as we hope we’ve done for you in this book—are eager to warn as many others as they can. The problem here is that you may burn yourself out agitating for political action, or arguing on the Internet, and thus forfeiting some of the reduced stress that our message should have produced for you. Moreover, depending on how you approach various issues, your confident jabs at the “conventional wisdom” might serve only to reinforce the prejudices of those you are trying to help.
As much as we’d appreciate more book sales, we think the best testimony you can give to others is the transformation our suggestions have effected in your own life. Whether in markets, human health, or interpersonal relationships, the great news is that we don’t have to choose between idealism and pragmatism. Freedom and independence are appealing aesthetically, but they also work.