the good fight

Vegetarian Times, Feb, 2001 by Suzanne Gerber

Heart disease is big business in this country. You don't have to be a trivia buff to know that it's the No. 1 cause of death in America. Every year, heart attacks kill 600,000 of us, and doctors perform 750,000 procedures like bypass surgeries or angioplasties. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease costs our economy $326.6 billion annually. (Compare that with the $63 billion the government spends on education, or the $24 billion it allocates for the environment.) I say it's time we fought back.

We've known the major risk factors for heart disease for half a century now, and there's no question that medical technology has come a long way since the '50s. Judging from the proliferation of low-fat foods, sport clubs and anti-smoking programs, you'd think we were doing something right. And yet the number of deaths from heart disease continues to rise every year. What's wrong with this picture? I wish there were a simple answer. Now, you've probably noticed there's not an "M.D." after my name, but I do have a few thoughts on why we're not winning the war against heart disease. First, l don't think the collective "we" is all that healthy. We're not all exercising five days a week or eating truly low-fat diets. Second, even those of us who have cut out a lot of fat are still loading up on the really pernicious kind: the trans fats, found in hydrogenated fats and oils (meaning, virtually every baked good or commercial snack food on the market!). Finally--and it's a biggie--I think we still suppress a lot of negative emotions, secretly admire the type A personality and are stressed-out beyond belief.

This month we provide you with the latest research on preventing and treating heart disease. There's a great feature on the often-overlooked emotional aspects ("Bypass Heart Disease," p. 58); 25 great heart-smart recipes throughout the issue; and a special 12-page insert that explores other risk factors and treatments. And while we must acknowledge that there are still "unknown" medical risk factors that scientists are just discovering, you should feel good knowing that every step you do take brings you just a little closer to championing heart disease.