Prevention is not just better than cure, prevention IS the cure
Professor Robert Lustig
These are the words of Professor Robert Lustig, and are being echoed by other brilliant doctors like the UK cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra who acknowledge the importance of preventive medicine.
Preventive medicine focuses on the health of both the individual and societies. It is a proactive approach to patient care to ensure that any sickness is minimised and detected early so that a patient has the best chance of recovery to optimum health. It is especially targeted at chronic disease, which continues to increase in the Western world. Chronic disease comprises type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and even dementia, all of which are preventable and in many cases reversible.
Stopping smoking is more powerful than taking heart medication.
Dietary change is more powerful than taking diabetes medication.
Natural weight loss achieved through lifestyle is more powerful than a gastric band.
Instead of trying to treat health problems further down the line with pharmaceuticals, preventive medicine looks at how to stop them occurring in the first place.