Healthy markets would benefit the entire nation by boosting productivity, decreasing risks due to epidemics, and lowering health costs in general. American businesses lose billions of dollars a year because employees call in sick to work. When employees do not come in, the business does not function as well. Furthermore, the employee pays less in taxes to the state and federal government. Healthy people are also less likely to develop diseases that could spread to other members of the population. Epidemics decreased significantly in America when proper sanitation became normal, but before this, urbanized areas had cholera and typhoid outbreaks on an almost-yearly basis. Vaccination also plays a factor here as well, as childhood mortality in America is at an all-time low since measles and tetanus are almost unheard-of diseases today. Healthy people also help keep healthcare costs lower. Physicians are better able to care for someone who has a healthy diet and lives a healthy lifestyle. Patients are less likely to need multiple heart bypass surgeries or replacement joints if they manage their weight with diet and exercise. There is less of a need for diabetic and cancer funding for those who cannot afford it because the disease is not as prevalent in populations who are able to make healthy choices.
Healthcare costs the American government billions of dollars per year. Instead of cutting off federal healthcare subsidies, the federal government finds it more humane and ultimately easier to promote healthy choices in the population. Grocery stores specializing in healthy foods are encouraged to move to "food deserts" where healthy meals may not be readily available. Politicians regularly promote exercise by publicly working out and through commercials produced by the Ad Council. All of these are meant to boost worker productivity (and ultimately tax value) as well as lower healthcare costs. It remains to be seen if these methods actually lowered healthcare costs across the nation.
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