• Home
  • News
    • Politics / Govt
    • Legislature
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Archives
  • Sports
    • Badgers
    • Packers
      • Titletown Report
    • Brewers
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Health / Medicine / A partnership to fight chronic disease

A partnership to fight chronic disease

February 29, 2008 By WRN Contributor

Tommy Thompson: "And if you want to have an impact, you have to go where the money is. When Willie Sutton and Jesse James were asked 'why do you rob banks?' what was their answer? That's where the money is. If you want to fix healthcare, you have to go where the money is, and that's in chronic illnesses." (Photo: Jackie Johnson) A new coalition aims to get policymakers to reduce and prevent preventable illnesses to save lives, misery and money.

The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease wants to make chronic diseases a key issue in the race for the White House. Wisconsin co-chair Tommy Thompson says we have about seven years before the health care system collapses, so we need to fix it.

“And if you want to have an impact, you have to go where the money is. When Willie Sutton and Jesse James were asked 'why do you rob banks?' what was their answer? That's where the money is. If you want to fix healthcare, you have to go where the money is, and that's in chronic illnesses .”

The former US Health Secretary and four-term Governor says businesses across the country can offer incentives for their employees to take better care of their health, such as offering smoking cessation programs and workout facilities. Also Thompson explains, large corporations with cafeterias should subsidize the good food.

“You know if people come in and have the fruits and the vegetables and a salad, charge them a buck or subsidize it and give it away. And then have the other line where it's high fats … five bucks for a hamburger, ten bucks for a cheeseburger and 20-cents for a French fry. It will change human nature dramatically.”

Thompson says one of the most important issues facing all of us as Americans is the cost, affordable and accessibility of healthcare. He says chronic illnesses come at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars to the health care system. The three biggest contributors are tobacco, diabetes and obesity.

“Seven out of ten individuals die from chronic illnesses – 75% of the 2.4 trillion dollars – 16% of the gross national product that we spend on healthcare goes for chronic illnesses.”

Thompson says we all need to take some individual responsibility, like eating right, exercising, and drinking and smoking less. Thompson jokes, there's no law requiring you to eat everything on your plate.

The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease consists of a coalition of about 110 groups nationwide.

AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (2:02 MP3)

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Health / Medicine



Featured Stories

Wisconsin politicians react as SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade

Republicans gavel in and out of special session to overturn Wisconsin’s abortion law

Juneteenth flag raised at Wisconsin Capitol

Gableman invokes 5th amendment, elections probe found in contempt in open records case

House passed gun purchase background check bills last year with no support from Wisconsin Republicans

TwitterFacebook

Sports Headlines

Giannis breaks franchise scoring record, Bucks beat Nets in OT

Wisconsin’s Davis declares for NBA Draft

Badgers to face Arizona State in Las Vegas Bowl

Williams likely out for the season with broken hand

Packers releasing TE Jace Sternberger

More Sports

Tweets by @WRN

Get our news delivered to your inbox:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2022 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC