National Parks, Hiking, and Health Care in the United States
“National parks are the best idea we’ve ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect the best of us instead of the worst.” -Wallace Stegner
I am back in the world of cell phones and internet connectivity. I learned a lot on a two-week hiking tour of the national parks, including something about health care in the United States. First, Canyonlands is a lesser-known and unadvertised park, but it’s on a par with the Grand Canyon and Yosemite in terms of scenery, with really great hikes. Second, don’t drive your Prius on snowy Wyoming country roads, but that’s another story. Finally, moving away from my coastal, parochial vision of America may provide some insights into the future of American healthcare.
I saw three things on my trip to the West:
1) Obesity has become the new norm for Americans, at least for those staying in national park hotels.
2) Smoking has really declined among Americans and is no longer welcome in most places.
3) Medical and surgical subspecialty care is increasingly available, even in rural areas.
The obesity problem was both shocking and terrifying. The incidence of overweight and obese people we encountered, visiting the national parks and stopping at roadside restaurants, was staggering. The incidence was at least 40% and affected all age groups. The vision of America given on television does not reflect this truly profound and fundamental change in the nature of the people of our country and their expected health problems. It’s easy to pontificate about the impact of obesity in America, but seeing it in the field reinforces the impossible task facing our medical system and the woeful responses from the government and Obamacare. From what I have seen, the impacts will be much worse than most projections. Diabetes and its complications will sink our healthcare system.
On a more optimistic note, I was surprised at how many smokers I saw and how marginalized they have become. Compared to my last visit to Wyoming many years ago, the number of people who smoke has dropped dramatically. Also, I saw the new California archetype of the harried smoker, huddled outside in the rain for a cigarette, in Casper, of all places. I believe the message that smoking is bad has reached much of the country and can result in long-term health benefits.
Finally, I saw outpatient Lasik surgery clinics in Moab Utah, plastic surgeons in Ralston Wyoming, and cancer centers in Grand Junction Colorado. Previously, these smaller cities would have required people to travel many miles to obtain such services. High-level specialist care is widely available, which is a good thing. It will be interesting what happens with these services when the payments for such procedures are reduced.
Although I’m not optimistic about our healthcare system, the beauty of the national park system gives me a personal reason to stay healthy.