More than ten million Dutch people have been told at some point by their GP that they have a chronic condition. This concerns, for example, diabetes, COPD or osteoarthritis.
If this continues, there will be almost 12 million chronically ill Dutch people by 2050, this is how the RIVM calculates in a report to be published next week. The number of people with osteoarthritis and dementia will almost double.
Women are worse off
The main cause of this increase is an aging population. But people are also younger on average when they become ill. Women are a lot worse off than men: despite their longer life expectancy, they develop a chronic condition on average five years earlier. For example, they have migraines more often at a younger age. Women are more likely to suffer from joint complaints later in life. This is probably due to hormones.
But the deteriorating health of women can also be seen as an undesirable side effect of emancipation, says David van Bodegom, vitality professor at the Leyden Academy knowledge institute. “Men generally live unhealthier lives, they smoke more and drink more. In countries where women are emancipated and, for example, drink and smoke a lot, these differences become smaller.”
Eternal weekend
The main culprit of many chronic conditions is lifestyle. We are stressed, eat unhealthy, spend many hours sitting in an office where a car takes us. An eternal weekend, that is how Van Bodegom views modern life. “People used to only eat meat and have a drink on Sundays, but now they do that every day.”
Did we do so much better in the 1980s? Not necessarily, he says. But the people who were elderly at that time grew up in a time when there was a lot less prosperity.
“The aging process does not start at 65, it happens throughout your life. Your body wears out, just like a washing machine,” the professor explains. “Aging is an accumulation of damage.” If you have suffered too much damage earlier in your life, for example due to cigarette smoke, unhealthy food or alcohol, the risk of a chronic disease increases.
Sculpture Brechtje Rood
Complaints-free, but not healthy
Although diseases are occurring earlier and earlier, people feel they are living in good health for as long or longer than in 1981, when Statistics Netherlands started taking measurements. At that time, men said they would live an average of 60 years in good health, which would be 64 years in 2023. For women it has remained about the same.
This is due to the quality of healthcare, says Van Bodegom. For example, because people receive a medicine and therefore have no complaints, they consider themselves healthy. “While they do rely on healthcare. Someone with diabetes must have annual check-ups, visit the pedicure, the practice nurse, or the ophthalmologist.”
If the RIVM scenario comes true and there will soon be 12 million chronically ill people, that will also be a disaster for healthcare, predicts professor of sensible care Sjoerd Repping of the Amsterdam UMC.
There are already waiting lists, says Repping. “They’re going to get longer. We will have to make increasingly strict choices and say ‘no’ more often.”
Doomsday scenario
This requires a major change in behavior from both doctor and patient, according to Repping. Doctors want to help everyone and are used to performing certain procedures, but these are not always the most efficient.
On the other hand, patients also have too high expectations of healthcare. “We as healthcare have made society believe that we can solve everything. Patients are not used to hearing that we cannot do something.”
According to him, it is still a long way off, but as an ultimate doomsday scenario, Repping paints a Covid-like scene, in which healthcare providers must determine who gets priority.
Individual responsibility
So the big question is: how do we prevent that? Recently, healthcare minister Fleur Agema (PVV) announced that she would be making significant cuts, mainly on prevention. The Nutrition Center, the Trimbos Institute and the Partnership for Overweight Netherlands, among others, must hand in money.
According to Van Bodegom, people can do a lot themselves to become healthier, without having to rely solely on willpower. “You can let those around you do the work by removing temptations. If there is a licorice jar in the office, everyone eats licorice. If there is fruit, people will take it. You can apply that way of thinking to everything else.”
Health economist Jochen Mierau of the University of Groningen calls this focus on individual responsibility a ‘diversion’. “Eighty percent of supermarket products are unhealthy, and then it is your responsibility to choose products that are healthy.”
He advocates regulation, which he believes has historically had the most effect on health gains. “We have not reduced smoking with information about its dangers, but with smoking bans, price increases and an advertising ban. Modern diseases are the result of industries that make a profit, and the costs are passed on to society.”
Also read:
What are the secrets of families that grow very old? Play along and find out
Leiden researchers are getting closer to the mystery of a healthy long life. Do you draw the right cards for a good path in life?
Cut back on prevention? ‘This will only increase the differences in health’
The government is cutting back on subsidies that should promote healthy eating and more exercise. A bad thing, says health economist Jochen Mierau.
Chronic Conditions in the Netherlands: A Comedic Perspective
Well, it appears that the Dutch aren’t just famous for windmills and wooden shoes; they’re also on the fast track to becoming the chronically ill capital of the world! Over ten million of them have been diagnosed with chronic conditions, and if we’re not careful, we might just see 12 million. That’s right, by 2050, it seems we’ll have more chronically ill folks than there are tulips in bloom!
Women are Worse Off: Can’t We Just Blame the Hormones?
According to the article, poor women are catching chronic illnesses five years earlier than men—a real kick in the ovaries, to be honest. And what’s the reason? Apparently, it’s all down to hormones and emancipation, which is just a fancy way of saying that while women are out there smashing glass ceilings, their joint health is shattering at a record pace! Now that’s what I call multitasking!
As a ‘vitality professor’ said, men may live unhealthier lives, but at least they can puff out their chests, give a global wave of their beer bellies, and still brag about not developing those pesky joint problems until they’re ancient. Sorry ladies, keep the smoking and drinking to yourselves. Less liberation, more preservation!
The “Eternal Weekend” That’s Ruining Our Health
Now, let’s talk lifestyle, shall we? Apparently, we’re living like every day is an all-you-can-eat buffet followed by “Why don’t we have cocktails for lunch?” Modern life is being waved in front of us like a buffet table laden with fries and mayonnaise. Health experts lament that people only used to indulge on Sundays—sounds a bit pious, if you ask me. But nowadays? ‘It’s a free-for-all, and calories don’t count on Wednesdays!’
But who needs to keep track when you can binge-watch an entire season of a show while simultaneously consuming an entire family-sized pizza? It’s time to admit it; we’ve traded our manual washing machines for the spin cycle of chronic health conditions. Aging begins as soon as you hit adulthood, like your body has already clocked out for early retirement!
Diagnosed But Still Living the High Life
Here’s the kicker: while our chronic ailments pile up like IKEA furniture waiting to be assembled, we still believe we’re healthier than ever! Why? Because thanks to modern medicine, we get pills that reduce our symptoms but don’t fix the underlying issues. It’s like putting duct tape on a leaky pipe—eventually, you’ll need a professional. And spoiler alert: those professionals are probably going to be swamped by an ever-expanding waiting list!
The Doomsday Scenario: No More Runes on Your Health
Fasten your seatbelts, folks, because if this report is accurate, we could be facing a health care crisis similar to a post-apocalyptic film where only a select few get to see a doctor. ‘Sorry, you used your yearly check-up on… what? A hangnail?!’ Talk about a plot twist no one saw coming!
Individual Responsibility: The Blame-It-On-Yourself Card
And as if that wasn’t enough, apparently, the government thinks that you picking the fruit over the licorice is the key to your health. Come on! This is like telling someone to “just smile” when they’re down—helpful, but fundamentally misguided. How about regulations on all those incredibly unhealthy supermarket products instead? Let’s keep the licorice in the jar and make sure the strawberries don’t get overshadowed by the chocolate covered everything!
If we really want to tackle this issue, maybe let’s start by blaming the industries selling us junk food while pretending we’re all healthy individuals just because we said “no” to the third slice of cake. Regulation might just be the modern-day superhero stepping in to save the day before we pump ourselves full of palliative care.
What’s Next?
So, what’s the takeaway from all this? Well, keep enjoying those “eternal weekends” while you can, but let’s get real—maybe it’s time we treat our bodies better than a worn-out washing machine. And hey, if you fancy living longer, just know that at least fifty percent of your weekly diet shouldn’t consist of Gummy Bears.
And if all else fails, remember—when life gives you chronic conditions, make jokes out of it. Because laughter, at least, is free! Unless you’re in one of those dreaded emergency rooms with a co-payment—then it’s basically a theatrical performance.
Now let’s go flip some pancakes and wrap it up with a dose of self-care, shall we?
How does the portrayal of triage decisions in a dystopian healthcare system reflect societal attitudes towards individual responsibility for health?
Lar to a scene out of a dystopian movie. Imagine doctors in a triage situation, trying to decide who gets a lifesaving procedure and who just gets a “well, keep your fingers crossed.” It’s like a healthcare edition of musical chairs—except there are fewer chairs and no music playing to lighten the mood!
Not to mention, amid these predictions, the government has decided it’s time to cut back on preventative measures. That’s right, folks! Because who needs prevention when we can just let the health problems come pouring in like a flood? It’s as if they’re saying, “Hey, we could help you avoid those pesky chronic diseases… nah, let’s just throw a party and see how many we can collect instead!”
Time for a Change in Mindset
So, what’s the solution? While the responsibility to lead healthier lives seems to rest squarely on the shoulders of the individual, let’s be real—sometimes it takes more than just willpower. We can’t expect people to make healthy choices when the junk food aisle is larger than the produce section, and advertising for unhealthy snacks is flashing like a neon lights in our faces. It’s practically screaming, “Surrender to temptation!”
As it turns out, changing our environments might be the key. Let’s banish the candy jars and stock up on fresh fruits. Who knows? Maybe with a little nudge towards healthier options, we could bring back the kind of eating habits that don’t require us to visit the doctor annually for a side of insulin.
Regulating the Industry vs. Individual Responsibility
The conversation about health isn’t just about individuals; it’s also about regulations. History shows us that impactful health legislation has curbed significant health issues. Just look at smoking bans and price increases on cigarettes—while people might have known it was bad for them, it took regulations to really cut down on smoking rates. So, maybe it’s time we ask the snack industry to step up its game instead of just putting the onus on the consumer.
In Conclusion
As we embrace our comically catastrophic predictions of future health, let’s remember: it’s not all doom and gloom. With the right changes in behavior, healthcare policy, and community support, we can avoid becoming the poster children for chronic ill health. We might even find a way to swap those endless health complaints for a little more joie de vivre and a whole lot less chronic drama. Because after all, who wants to live life on a prescription level when we can thrive with a bit of foresight and some good ol’ fashioned moderation?
