Gout is hardly the rich mans disease anymore. With all the crap that they try to pass off as food these days, gout is fast becoming the “poor mans disease” . . . not the rich mans disease at all.
Especially in the United States where both adult and childhood obesity is now at epidemic proportions, it is not because we are a nation of “rich” people – on the contrary. We have a fast food restaurant or convenience store on every corner. Our kids have no idea where food even comes from! If you’ve been bewildered trying to understand just what gout is, this might shed some light.
I found this article from Chris Prakash, MD of eParisExtra.com about the laugh-ability of gout still being considered the rich mans disease, check it out:
GOUT : A Rich Mans Disease? Not Really! By Chris Prakash, MD
The view that gout is a rich mans disease is a little oversimplified, but lifestyle factors clearly influence a person’s risk of developing gout. Obesity, especially in youth, moderate to heavy alcohol intake, high blood pressure, and abnormal kidney function are among the risk factors for developing gout.
The diagnosis of Gout is usually clinical. It is considered when a patient reports a history of repeated attacks of painful arthritis, especially at the base of the toes. The most reliable test for gout is detecting uric acid crystals in the joint fluid obtained by joint aspiration. This common office procedure is performed with topical local anesthesia. A blood test may also be done to measure the amount of uric acid.
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Hey Bert,
Good to hear from you. I appreciate the emails and will continue to read all of them. I enjoyed the course, learned a lot, and have been doing much better after making some changes. I need to do the coaching session in the near future. Thanks for the reminder.
Take care,
Jason
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More to the Rich Mans Disease Story
I’ve got a piece in my new program that is about the history of the rich mans disease and there’s more to it than that. It got a lot of air time in old time England due to the aristocracy and their debaucherous ways, but it really had more to do with the fact that they discovered and started using “lead” to make eating and drinking utensils and storage containers out of. It came down to…lead poisoning.
What I have a sneaking suspicion about, is that all us baby boomer types grew up with lead paint, leaded gas, lead pipes and who knows what else.
☆ What do you think causes Rich Mans Disease?
“I know your pain. Let me help you kill your gout for good! And teach you to advocate for yourself and take ownership of your gout recovery, by showing you how to live the gout-free lifestyle.” Two decades ago, Bert Middleton found himself diagnosed with gout. Like 8.3 million other people in the United States (approximately 4% of the population), he struggled helplessly with the physical, emotional, social, and financial impact that gout left unchecked can have on your life. Prescription drugs were of limited help… And the terrible pain of regular gout attacks left him unable to enjoy even the simplest daily pleasures. His marriage was suffering. His finances were spiraling due to the impact gout had on his ability to work. And maintaining a social life was often nearly impossible. Tophi surgeries left him in terrible pain. And he found himself depressed … and angry … that gout was stealing years of his life.
Until one day, after hundreds of hours of research and self-experimentation, Bert finally had a breakthrough and created a blueprint for a way of living that would prove to be “the answer” to living gout-free for nearly a decade now. Today, Bert and his “Gout Wife” Sharon devote their evenings and weekends to educating other gout sufferers on how to live the gout-free lifestyle. Showing others his 911 Emergency Response Gout Recovery Plan for getting PAINFUL gout attacks under control in as little as 4 hours. And then, how to make daily choices that keep gout under control for GOOD! So you can finally start LIVING again!