an ounce of prevention (m)

Day One of a two-day board meeting at a top medical school.  Lots of great presentations and debates.  The more interesting part of the day for me, however, is observing the participants-- my fellow board members.
 
Here's what I saw:

-most everyone is thin
-no one smokes
-no one eats anything from the bowls of candy placed before us (one of the members owns a big-time candy company). I had to move the bowl in front of me far away because I thought it would levitate from my staring at it so long.
-everyone chooses the fish at dinner
-no one eats all their dessert (one bite and they put the fork down)
-only about 25% of people had dinner rolls.  No one had the butter.
-most didn't drink alcohol.  Those who did, drank only one glass of red wine
-the keynote speaker was 6'2", 160 pounds.  He used to weigh 230 pounds but he said he didn't want to be on medication or under a doctor's care

I talked to one woman about needing surgery on my knee.  She tells me not to do it but come to New York and have this progressive clinic look at it and recommend non-surgical alternatives.  Another board member agrees and says the data shows the surgery is no more effective than physical therapy.  Yet another person leans in and suggests a meditation tape for me to listen to.

Want to know what I think of all I saw and heard today? 

The people who know the medical system the most are the ones who are working the hardest to avoid it.