After my body demanded that I gave it more water after I turned 40, I realized how we tend to priortize other things over our health. And then my mind went wandering to our lifestyle and what it is doing to us.
Have you noticed that the hospitals are super crowded now-a-days? Just the other day we went to visit a friend at a general hospital and saw that the parking lot was almost full. Another time, when my kids had the flu, we visited the maternity hospital I delivered at and saw that the parking was outsourced to another company, so we had to pay for valet parking (after 7 years of free parking). When we were young, it would be exciting to spot an ambulance (because the word AMBULANCE is written backwards and it fascinated us). Sadly, now I realized that we were passing too many active ambulances almost every time we were on the road. Not exciting, is it?
This made me think about why hospitals have gotten overcrowded lately. I may be wrong; I may be right or I may be overthinking this. You tell me after reading what I have to say.
On asking Google, apparently, overcrowding in hospitals is a result of a situation when demand is higher than supply. Like duh! But have you ever wondered WHY the demand is high in the first place (I mean besides the increasing population and the fact that hospitals are turning into businesses)?
Let me dish out my reasons:
Many of us have resorted to having a sedentary lifestyle due to desk-bound work, stress, binge-watching series, video games, excessive screen time, etc. Continuous sitting with the wrong posture is so common that spine surgeons are getting richer. Priorities have changed, so, there is an increase in delayed pregnancies which result in numerous complications. We are working so much that even our sleep cycles are getting messed up.
Many of us have taken weight increase for granted without realizing the adverse effect it has on our health. Outward appearances are given so much importance these days that what we eat has taken a back seat. Restaurant food has become so easily available that we have stopped cooking food at home as we find ordering in more relaxing. Packaged food has become a fad with various companies trying to make their mark. Fast foods and quick bites are quick, cheap and tasty, so, we save time but not our health.
Brands that are meant to give us relief also encourage us to consume unhealthy food items. Like ENO advertizes that you can eat an unhealthy samosa and then avoid the acid burns caused by it by using their product. Why eat it and spoil your system in the first place?
Life has become a race. Due to stress with in-laws, parents, home chores, studying, work, etc., we tend to neglect ourselves. We do not eat the right food, at the right time in the right quantities. Decorating our houses for the world to see has become a norm and maintaining all of it takes the life out of us. We tend to think we are messing with a couple of meals just for a while until we begin with major issues and realize that we’ve been ignoring our overall health for a very long time while we were busy with other things.
Not forgetting the stressful classes we keep sending our kids to in order to become ‘brain champs’. I mean, what is that? Are we creating a world of scientists for the next five generations to come? Children are being sent to behavioural analysts and therapists these days due to the amount of stress and pressure imposed by the adults around them. Depression has also become a major illness these days due to various factors.
Now that everyone wants to have a career and be recognized in their industries, many kids are left with long hours of screen-time which is adversely affecting their brain, mental health and body. What are we implying by throwing them to the screens just to keep them away, quiet, busy or safe at home while we are occupied with meetings, presentations and reports? Is our work more important than family and health? What are we doing to our kids?
There was a time when doctors would ask us to initially inhale steam and drink milk with turmeric. Now, they ask us to directly use nebulizers on the kids. These devices are expensive and can be used with steroids only. When did we make this drastic shift from haldi doodh to devices? Is it safe for us, our kids or the future generations? Why is getting sick become so common?
We have gotten so engrossed with careers, ambitions, power, expensive education, big houses, multiple cars, our appearances, other material things, etc. that we seem to have forgotten that we can enjoy all of this only if we are in good mental and physical health.
Taking care of ourselves is most important but everyone seems to be having other priorities. And most of what we do to ourselves result in illnesses, boredom, depression, obesity, etc. which in turn forces us to visit hospitals. Do I make sense here?
Therefore, as a well-wisher, I urge you to start thinking about this before anything else. If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out.
So, let’s not overcrowd hospitals but take care of our health, mind and body instead. Let’s also teach our kids that life is simple and doesn’t have to be stressful. Our mental and physical health matter the most. Do you remember the phrase ‘health is wealth’?
Just had to write all these thoughts down before they exploded in my head! Your comments are highly valuable here, so please let out your thoughts in the comments below.
This post is part of Blogchatter’s CauseAChatter.
Photo by Anna Shvets
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Monidipa Dutta.
52 Comments
Hmmm… I’ve lived in Delhi all. my life and the hospitals have alwayssss been overcrowded.
Perhaps in the metros. But now it’s everywhere. At least wherever I have lived the crowd has increased a lot.
This is a brilliant subject to talk about. It not only give information but also make aware the people. These highlighted points are the actual cause and I think lifestyle and food the most common.
Once we make healthy lifestyle changes, then visits to hospitals automatically come down. Instead of relying on medicines, we should try to embrace a healthy diet and lifestyle. Exercise, yoga, and meditation also help in keeping our body fit.
True, Ranjeeta!
Trust me these factors matter alot when it comes to healthy lifestyle. And we are going through atleast one or two or more reasons that leads to lot of health problems and ending at the hospital. I guess the increasing competition is also one of the factor we all are running in rat race
Sad truth, Cindy. The silver lining is that there is more awareness. but I somehow feel that technology has made everything easy, but taken away health and happiness, don’t you think. That’s the first cause, in fact.
True, Janaki.
It is a fact that hospitals are getting super-crowded. Changing lifestyles, the stress of competition, and not to forget diets that are to say the least, unhealthy have all contributed to the overall fall in the health of people.
Two weeks back I went for an eye checkup to a speciality hospital in Noida. And I was shocked to see the number of people there. There was no place to sit, it used to be a quiet hospital, but I guess screen time and lifestyles have certainly brought a change. We really need to get out of the rut and take care of ourselves otherwise old age is going to a harder time.
I agree…Stress and lifestyle changes have really affected the health conditions today.. it is really important to understand your biological clock to live a healthy life.
How true, Cindy. The underlying cause of so many diseases these days are lifestyle disorders and sadly, I am also a victim of one. We need to take conscious efforts to come out of it. Great post for CauseAChatter.
Thanks Shalini. Hope you feel better soon.
It’s really sad how hospitals are crowded these days. Yes I too blame your above mentioned list of reasons for the same. We are cooking less, giving screen more to kids, just for our ease. Eating out so much is causing weight gain, cholesterol and what not. And stress….let’s not even get started there. The root cause of everything. And all this have been created by none other than ourselves.
So very true, Cindy. Now there is a mad rush to pack in as much as we can in the 24 hours. The body needs rest and is going to rebel. I feel that the rush is also due to seeking a medical opinion on every small issue. People have become hypochondriacs now, all thanks to Google.
I totally agree with you. Stress and screen time have started going hand in hand I would say
I understand that people fall sick and visit hospitals for treatment. Apart from the reasons listed by you, I would like to add one of the most obvious ones.
People nowadays are more conscious of their health and hence the available treatments. Due to ‘excess of money’ and the easy availability of health centers, people are not afraid to flock to these hospitals.
You are absolutely right. These days the age of contracting diseases is reducing. Even 20 somethings have heart issues. Health should always be our first priority. Everything else can wait.
Apart from the reasons you have mentioned, I also feel that people generally want to visit hospitals even for small things. And ofcourse the hospitals make money by making them do so many tests and make them come back multiple times. For example how did people survive not visiting hospitals except for emergencies during Covid? If we could survive then, why not now?
True, sadly, this comes under the ‘business’ part of it.
superb is a small word for the mirror you showed us through this post. Every word is true. Thank you for being that fabulous host that you are❤️😘
So well said Cindy, so many lifestyle disorders and diseases are quite preventable if we take better care of ourselves physically and mentally and eat healthy instead of taking our health for granted. That could really ease the burden on our overburdened healthcare system too.
I totally agree, the sedentary lifestyle has probably led to the rise in diseases . And so is the number of hospitals. Though there is awareness about health this still is alarming
Our lifestyle is indeed the reason why the sickness has become rampant. But again it has another side that people are not self medicating like before. If we dig deeply the rot is deeper than we expected
Absolutely, it’s often overlooked that various factors beyond physical illnesses can significantly contribute to crowded hospitals. The shift in priorities and delayed pregnancies can result in complications and a higher demand for specialized healthcare. Imbalanced work schedules further disrupt our sleep patterns, affecting overall well-being. These lifestyle factors collectively burden healthcare systems, emphasizing the need for awareness, preventive measures, and holistic healthcare approaches.
You are right that priority in life has changed drastically and screens have taken space that has created a huge impact in our lifestyle. Hope hospitals advice the best to patients and bring the best mortality rate in nation
I really liked the pointers you shared about why hospitals are overcrowded and yes, even for the lifestyle it’s great to visit experts and change the lifestyle.
This is a brilliant piece Cindy and I agree with you 100%. Also, it is high time we get back to the basics. Thank you so much for the reminder buddy.
I agree with you, Cindy. The reasons you have shared have led to rise in health problems and eventually overcrowding in the hospitals. It seems like a vicious cycle we are caught into, this race to prove ourselves at the cost of our health. It’s a thought provoking post.
Thank you, Neha. Do share it forward! Thanks.
Your blog is pushing me to think about it. You have mentioned all the valid points and yes, m working on reducing my kid’s screen-time. etc. Thanks for the informative blogpost.
No doubt the lifestyle is the 1st and most wide reason why we see flooding in hospital. I want to add one more reason, now a days people don’t even want to give home remedies a try they just want to rush to a specialist. Affordability and improved financial status are also a reason for flooded hospitals.
Good point, Ujjwal.
Dear Cindy if you ask me about my personal opinion about doctor visit I want to say that I hate visiting hospitals or clinics. in last 3 to 4 years time I visited clinics in last month for my wisdom teeth removal. My baby is too small but still date touch other than vaccination and general checkup I dont prefer even taking him to doctor. Stress is in every ones life and we need to learn how to manage it and stay happy as visiting doctors are not going to help in long run. Healthy lifestyle and good food habits with relaxed mind can help us lead a happy life without visiting doctors for long. Stay positive, think positive, do positive and rest life will turn positive.
I’m so glad to read this post. For someone who’s currently working to improve a better lifestyle not only for myself, my accountability partner (my hubby), but also to be a role model our daughters see and imitate, what you’ve written is very true and made my decision to do this lifestyle change even more worth-it.
Having a sister who’s a doctor, it’s a no-brainer to say that whenever we suddenly feel ill, we’d call her immediately. No-offence to medical practitioners but nowadays, I try to limit doctor visits (whom would surely give meds) but assess first if it is really a need or I/we just need to change something in our diet or lifestyle to make us feel better.
Your blog post raises important points about the increasing overcrowding in hospitals . Your analysis delves into various aspects of our modern lifestyle, such as sedentary habits, unhealthy food choices, elevated stress levels, excessive screen time, and the overreliance on medications.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the overcrowding of hospitals and its underlying causes. You’ve raised important points about the impact of lifestyle, food choices, stress, and screen-time on our overall health. It’s a reminder for all of us to prioritize self-care and focus on our mental and physical well-being. Your insights are thought-provoking and encourage readers to reflect on their own choices. Keep up the great work!
Thank you, Moni.
I can’t agree more Cindy… we’re totally on the same page. I believe in the concept of ‘Health in our hands’ and prevention is better than cure. I preach well being n health whenever I get the opportunity 😬… sometimes I get looks like, ‘mind your own business’ or statements that mean… ‘I am fat n I don’t have a prob, why do you?’ or even, ‘so far I am doing fine with this lifestyle, I will be good in the future too…’ 😛
But, frankly I don’t give up. Also, I like to be beautiful inside out… so instead of adorning my face alone, I try to put good stuff inside my body so that my face stays good n I become fitter. I believe in the magic of being physically active as well.
Very true, Kaveri. High five!
Great post Cindy . yes, morden lifestyle has so many factors that adversely affect our health but there are so many factors like our diet and screen time that we manage to reduce the adverse impact. love the way you have explained all pointers.
My pleasure, Surbhi.
This is a wonderful topic you have discussed Cindy. We tend to consider illness as the main reason behind the crowded hospitals. But small things can contributes towards it. These things either we take for granted or we are not ready to accept. Infact, during and post COVID time, the increase in the number of mental health related problems was surprising. That itself is an indicator about where we are going.
Sad truth, Alpana.
Lifestyle is to be blamed majorly for this overcrowding of hospitals. Competition has increased in every field and everyone is in the race to prove themselves But when we sit back and think we don’t even know what we are running after and what we really aim to achieve. Thought provoking.
True, Swati.
Such an eye opener post, I think about our olden days, How our ancestors managed their health at home especially for common cold n stuff. Now days some home remedies work but can’t exactly tell till when.
Yes, we have experienced it in the past few months, haven’t we, Flavia?
Cindy, your observations about the overcrowding in hospitals are indeed concerning. It’s unfortunate that what used to be a rare and exciting sight, like spotting an ambulance, has now become a frequent occurrence. You raise an important question about why hospitals are facing such high demand. Your analysis of lifestyle factors, such as sedentary habits and delayed pregnancies, certainly plays a role in contributing to the strain on healthcare systems. We must reflect on our choices and prioritize our health to alleviate the burden on hospitals. I agree with all the above pointers mentioned by you.
Thank you, Anjali.
It’s a good thing and a little worrisome too. Good, because people are taking expert care instead of going to crooks or self-medication. Worrisome, as we might be overloaded with medication, etc. But, yes these days health care centres are quite crowded. We need to be vigilant with our health.
True, Dipika!