Over the past 40 years, there has been a progressive, silent attack waged on the health of the American population.

The problem starts with a dysfunctional health care system that is more about "illness" than "health". Chronic medical conditions in our aging population have forced the cost of health care to skyrocket. But if you think the problem is with the Baby Boomers, think again.The same effect is noted with our youth, who are growing up inactive, overweight and having low self respect. The current system is unsustainable when it consumes 17% of the gross domestic product – and it is only going to magnify over time given the current population dynamics. It is a simple equation:

Generation X + Generation Z = an impending health disaster.

The phrase "patient-centered care" has also become a misnomer. The current system isn't "patient-centered" in any way whatsoever. Why?

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The day is upon us. April Fools' Day . April 1. It isn't a Hallmark day as such - but if it is celebrated by South Park , it must be a part of our present culture [said with tongue in cheek - hehe]. It is typically marked by hoaxes and practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, enemies, neighbors, and the like, with the aim being to embarrass those gullible enough to believe the prank. Some of these hoaxes are certainly more elaborate than others. Fortunately, the jokes are only supposed to last until noon!

I am sure we've all fallen prey to a merry prankster at some time during our lives.

But what is truly humorous is the origin of April Fool's Day. In a bygone era in France, April 1 was counted as the first day of the year. When King Charles IX changed the first day of the year to January 1 (by switching to the Gregorian calendar), some people stayed with April 1. It was those that continued to celebrate the first day of the New Year on April 1 that were called "April Fools".

Leave it to the French to go their own way!

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First of all, I find it ludicrous that a physical therapist, in this day and age, requires a gatekeeper to decide when physical therapy is and is not necessary and appropriate. I’ve written about it extensively, and frankly it just evades the power of logic. I don’t tell an orthopedic surgeon when surgery is appropriate, nor do I tell them how to perform it. I don’t tell a gastroenterologist when surgery is appropriate, nor do I tell them how to perform it. And I sure don’t expect anyone other than a physical therapist to know when physical therapy is appropriate, or how to perform it. A pretty simple issue of professional autonomy, I’d say.

Of course, don’t tell that to a physician or osteopath or chiropractor. I might start sounding like some kind of uppity therapist that just wants to … do … his … job … in the context of his professional training and licensure. Sound familiar?

What makes it even worse is that if you are going to take on the role of gatekeeper, then darn well know your responsibilities in order to perform the task properly. If you are going to own the keys to the car, then learn how to drive that car responsibly. Sadly, this doesn’t appear to be the case in the vast majority of scenarios.

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Today was the first race of the Formula One season, and it was well worth waiting for over what always seems like a long winter. The season ends, the development and testing begins, and we anxiously await the new designs to appear. Then, the first race is upon us and we see the results of the winter's testing.

There is no way that I would have ever expected today's result.

Brawn GP - a team that almost didn't exist at all - gave us a 1-2 performance in its first Grand Prix outing . Jenson Button scored the victory, and Rubens Barrichello placed second.

What is incomprehensible in the world of Formula One is that a team rarely if ever wins at its first go-round. Add to that the fact that this was the former Honda team of years past. Honda officially left Formula One over the winter due to rising costs and a global recession making an appearance. With no further factory support, the team was purchased by a group lead by none other than Ross Brawn, the chief technical director and designer. So to win your first race out of the box when a month ago your team barely existed (and had just recently acquird their only sponsor to date: Virgin Air) - that's pretty amazing stuff.

What makes this story much easier to comprehend is that it is, in fact, Brawn leading the charge.

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