Health Care as an Induced Demand

Posted on May 26, 2023 by SusanG

My last post I ended with the idea that the car creates an induced demand for health care. And I would venture to say, not just physical health care, mental health care as well. No. I’m not saying we shouldn’t have good health care of every sort. I’m not saying that if we didn’t have cars, we wouldn’t need health care. We would. I’m just suggesting that cars create an extra demand for health care. 

Empty saloon style storefront at Church Street Station in Orlando Florida

I take Taekwondo, I’ve mentioned that before. The studio I go to is only about 2 or so miles from my home. It is realistically within walking or biking distance. Except, while there are sidewalks, part of the way, there are no contiguous sidewalks or bike lanes using the shortest route between the two places. What is between the two places is a congested road that has only gotten more congested as they have built up businesses along the road, including new medical facilities. 

The other day I was sitting in my car, waiting for an opportunity to proceed along my route and frustrated that I’d just spent a week in a city that to walk two miles to something was no big deal, ok maybe a little bit of a deal, but we did it, and yet, here I couldn’t do that safely because ‘it’s more profitable to build medical facilities than it is to build sidewalks and bike lanes’. 

I know, you’re thinking, ‘Wait, what? We need health care’. We do. I’m not saying we don’t I’m saying it is a very profitable business in this country and why on earth would we do something that might prevent the need for it. 

But how does it become an induced or manufactured demand then, right? If we were to build more sidewalks and bike lanes that were safe to use, people might use them. They would get the exercise that the medical establishment says we should be getting but can’t get because we have to drive our cars everywhere. Then we might not need to see the doctor as much for things like achy bits because our bodies, in general function best when used, not when warehoused and shuttled. By not having those sidewalks and bike lanes, and facilities closer to where we live, we plant ourselves in our vehicles to get from one place to another for a bottle of milk, a loaf of bread, or to get to our exercise class which has also, become an induced or manufactured demand. 

I have read about studies in the recent years, sadly I can’t site them for you, that indicate being outside is generally good for our mental and physical health. They also show walking is one of the best exercises we can do for our general health. And if we’re out walking and other people are out walking, we have the opportunity to meet more people and form stronger communities which have also been shown to promote good mental and physical health. 

Looking out a window of an office building at part of the city of Orlando Florida

Instead, we don’t have those opportunities, so we find that we don’t feel well, we ache, we pull muscles as weekend warriors trying to get in our 150 minutes of recommended exercise in two days because it’s nearly impossible to do that during the week when we are sitting at our desks at our jobs or sitting in our vehicles, alone, in traffic. The solution we are told is to go see our doctor. The doctor runs some tests finds out you have this or that and prescribes medication and maybe tells you to get more exercise or lose weight. The medication they put you on requires you return to the doctor periodically to check that is working and not doing other damage, and if it is doing other damage, they put you on another additional medication that requires you return periodically for tests.

What they often don’t prescribe is nutritional counseling to help you identify healthier ways of eating, or counseling to help you identify different ways of doing things that might help with stress or organization or whatever is getting in the way of a healthier you. They might tell you to exercise more or suggest that if you lost weight it would help. 

And that leads to the next induced or manufactured demand. The healthy living industry. The Gyms, the yoga studios, the athletic clothing and athletic gear stores, and the home gym equipment suppliers. How many of us bought home gym equipment in the last 3 or so years? A lot. Why? Because we have been told that we have to have it to stay fit, to keep the weight off, to get in our 10,000 steps, or close our rings, or whatever. And, when the covid pandemic hit all of those gyms and yoga studios and athletic facilities had to close but we have been induced to keep up all of that exercise.

And it can, in itself be a self-inducing demand. The workout, gym, exercise industry like a lot of things has a one size fits all approach. Meaning if this exercise regime works for this group of people, it should work for everyone. Except it doesn’t. And it can often backfire creating more of the problem it was supposed to solve. But the industry says this has to work, so we are induced to try harder because maybe we didn’t work out enough or sweat enough or be mindful enough. 

dark colored pigeon on some steps on an overcast day

The interesting thing about the exercise industry is it creates a manufactured demand for special clothing. Yeah. Some gyms don’t want you showing up in your tattered t-shirt, lawn mowing shorts and beaten-up tennis shoes. You’ll need to wear proper workout attire. You can of course purchase one of the t-shirts from your gym. Oh, and don’t forget your vitamins, and greens smoothy mix. Because you need these supplements since you’re working out. 

And now we come to the induced or manufactured demand of the supplement industry. Again. I’m not saying there is no need for supplements at all. I am suggesting that the industry as a whole has become an induced or manufactured demand. Not specifically from the workout/exercise industry, though they do contribute. It also comes from a lack of nutritional information and understanding, and the big food industry and the food that is sold and marketed to us.

Do you feel like you’re on a wicked treadmill yet? One that doesn’t just go to nowhere but one that goes around and around like some distorted mobius strip? If you do, you’re not alone. The truth is everything is connected and when we induce a demand in one area it ultimately induces demands in other areas that induce additional demands. 

The point is not to shame anyone for ‘falling for it’ or choosing one of those things or even needing some portion of it. Health care. Absolutely, there is a need. There are things that can’t be solved just by good exercise and healthy eating and companionship. They require medical intervention. You might enjoy the experience of going to a gym, or practicing yoga at a studio, or, like me, learning martial arts. That’s ok. 

The point is to look at why we make that choice. Do we do it because we want to, because it is really the option that makes our life better? Or do we do it because we have no other choice, or the other choice though better for us, makes our life more difficult? If we do it because of a lack of choice or because the better for us choice makes life harder, then it’s an induced demand. And at that point the question that is worth asking is who is profiting. Who is making the money off me? And are we ok with that?

Medium to large size tree with green leaves on a sunny day and a sidewalk shaded by the tree.

As a planet, we got where we are climatically for several reasons, many of those turn out to have been caused by induced demand. The only way we can change that is by recognizing that and deciding for ourselves if that’s really what we want and then doing what we can to change things. It won’t happen overnight. We didn’t get here overnight. It will take enough people deciding they don’t want to spend hours driving on crowded roads to get to places. It will take enough people deciding they would rather go outside and take a walk with their friends instead of plod away on a lonely treadmill in an over bright and over loud, poorly or cheaply designed gym space. It will take more people deciding they don’t need that gigantic house. Or if they do get it, maybe they don’t need to stuff it until it’s overflowing with stuff. It’s not about judgement, it’s about making a conscious choice. 

Until next time. Peace. 

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Induced Demand and Manufactured Demand

Posted on May 15, 2023 by SusanG

As I said previously, I have a lot to say about induced demand. That’s because as I look around, I start to see it in so many places. Though many people will call it manufactured demand. For me they are very similar. Almost the same, certainly close siblings. And they both annoy me and I’m on a kick about it because so much of it is turning out to be bad for us and the environment.

Before we get too far, I want to say, I am not immune to either induced demand or if you prefer manufactured demand. I have been known to use a new, bigger road, or buy more to fill a bigger space. It happens. I’m not condemning people for it. I’m pointing it out because I want to point it out for myself. 

Street scene in Paris France with one car driving and cars parked on the sides of the street with buildings and people on the sidewalks

So, let’s look at another induced demand. Or manufactured demand. You choose. 

Homes and suburban living. In the United States, suburban living is marketed as the ideal. You want a nice big house tucked away in some quiet neighborhood with not a lot of traffic where you feel like your kids will be safe to play outside even though we’re too scared to let them. Since we are stuck so far away from a social life, we are sold bigger and bigger homes. I grew up in a 4-bedroom 2-bathroom house that was 1148 square feet built in 1969. It was a fine size and fit for my family that was either 4 or 5 people, or 4 people and a business. I currently live in a 2-bedroom with a bonus room, 2-bathroom condo that is 1184 square feet. My owner suite of a walk-in closet, bathroom, and bedroom is big enough to be two bedrooms, with closets, and a bathroom. I’m one person. And yet I have filled my closet completely.

It is difficult these days to find, and purchase a small place, especially if you want new. People aren’t building them unless you go the tiny house route. But that’s not the point here. The point is more about how with bigger places we end up buying more stuff. If I were to buy a home that was say 300-500 square feet bigger, I have been conditioned that instead of enjoying that extra space as space and maybe spreading out the already too much stuff I feel I have, that I need to buy more furniture, or other stuff to fill it. This seems like that induced demand. Give me more space and now I’ll fill it and then some analyst comes by and says, ‘see we told you; you needed more space.’

Did I? Did I really need more space, or did I need, less stuff, or a better use of the space I had, or maybe more opportunity to get out of my home without it being a chore. Maybe I need more community spaces that are safe and don’t require membership because if it requires membership, it isn’t a community space. 

Back to the big house that I now have to fill, or so I’m told, and clean. I purchase a big house. It comes with a big kitchen, a big refrigerator, a big dishwasher, a washing machine, and a clothes dryer. The house is designed for this. Each of these creates a level of demand. Oh, and with that house comes restrictive covenants that dictate what I can’t do or have. As an example, in my community all of the outsides of the widow coverings have to be white or beige. This is depressingly boring. I want to see sponge bob curtains on the kid’s rooms and fun flowy colors on the rooms of the teens but nope, not allowed. Another thing I can’t do is to use my balcony to dry clothes. And there are many single-family home communities where even in a fenced back yard you are not allowed to have a clothesline to dry your clothes outside. But I digress, a little, because it is still relevant to induced and manufactured demand.

So, we have created restrictive covenants that create a demand, induced or manufactured, that require we have clothes dryers. You could say we aren’t required to because we could lay them out to dry in our homes. And that would be the case if you hadn’t filled that home with all that stuff that you were encouraged to fill it with.

Business with a red awning with the business name on front. Business name is Ghezzi. Two people walking on the sidewalk in from going opposite directions

The dishwasher is another item I want to address. Have you heard the advice that to run the dishwasher efficiently it should be full? Yeah. That’s what I’ve heard too. And I’m not going to argue with it. I mean really if you are going to use that much water and electricity to clean your dishes better to clean as many as possible for that amount of resources. I get it. But what about the part where you need more dishes and cookware because some of it is in the dishwasher, dirty, waiting to wash, or some of it is in the sink waiting for the next round of the dishwasher. I know I don’t always stop and think ‘oh, I could just wash this one item instead of waiting for the dishwasher’. Or that I could get that one pan out of the dishwasher and hand wash it so I can use it tonight. Instead of needing to have two of those pans. Not because I use two at a time rather because one might be dirty. Because the dishwasher is more efficient if it’s run when it’s full. And supposedly, the dishwasher is more efficient and better at getting your dishes clean. Really?

What about cleaning? I mentioned that earlier. I can’t say this is as insidious. And it really is more of a manufactured demand. That doesn’t make it any less annoying. There is this really great cleaning tool and system called Swifter. It is convenient. It also has its own manufactured demand. Those little cloths that go on the bottom of the stick to pick up the dirt, they are a manufactured demand. We think, because that’s what is advertised, that for those things to work we have to buy their single use cloths that we can then just throw away. Wait what? Last time I looked, a box of 52 of those little guys was going for roughly $15. Ok that’s “only” about $.29 each. How is that a big deal or expensive. They go in the landfill, and they are made from a microfiber with leaches into the water supply and everything else. And if you use more than one a week that cost of ownership and usage goes up considerably. And here, a dirty house is a reflection of how good a person you are. But that’s a topic for another time.

Now we have our big house, with our big appliances, and our disposable cleaning supplies, and we need to fill it. But we live a car ride, not walking distance, from the nearest store for groceries or other goods. We could have them delivered, yes, but that’s lazy, or something. Because everyone knows that if you don’t get your own groceries then you aren’t a regular person. Fortunately, the pandemic has shifted some of this attitude as well as access to this type of service. However, like so many things, there is a downside. Again, another topic for another time. Back to the house we have to fill.

Houseboat on the water hidden behind some trees

We need to fill the refrigerator with food for it to run efficiently, we need to have enough dishes and cookware to fill the dishwasher, so it runs efficiently, and we have enough dishes to continue to feed ourselves while the dishwasher is running, or waiting to run, and we need more stuff to fill all those big rooms, so we don’t look poor. Now we need a car. Need. Because we can’t get to anything without one. And if we could, chances are the infrastructure isn’t available to make getting to those places without a car safe. Now the car has become a demand. 

And what a demand. A demand that creates demand. I’m referring to my first post about induced demand. The car demands fuel, of some sort, as well as roads that will either be too congested or soon to be too congested. The car also demands a place to be parked whether at home waiting to be driven by people to places, or at work waiting to be driven home again. But not just any old car will do. We live so far away from the grocery store, the shopping mall, and the children’s school that we need a big enough car, an SUV, to carry all the groceries home, or all our shopping to fill up our big homes and get it home, or our children and their friends to every activity they might want or need to participate in. Not only has the car become a demand, a necessity, it has also become bigger, and it needs more of everything, thus a demand that creates demand.

It creates another demand besides the resources it needs or encourages. It creates a health care demand. Let’s talk about that in another post. If I start that now, you’ll be reading past lunch or be late for that meeting. 

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My Recent Travel – April 2023

Posted on May 8, 2023 by SusanG

As I noted in my last post, I’ve spent the last two weeks traveling. The first week was to Central Florida for work. The day job decided we should have department meeting to get together and do “team building”. For the week after I was scheduled to be on PTO (paid time off, also known as vacation) from the day job. My sister announced to me she wanted to take me on a trip and wanted to go to Paris since she knows more about what’s in Paris to see. 

I had an extra day or so after the work meeting before we left for Paris, so I stayed with my sister, and we went to see the Cirque du Soleil playing at Disney Springs. Yay. The current Cirque is “Drawn to Life” and is about drawing and animation and is a really cool story. As an artist who draws and enjoys animation, I found it inspiring and maybe even a little motivating. I’m really glad we got to see it.

Picture of the Eiffel Tower on an overcast day

The trip to Paris was fabulous. I may have walked more miles in a week than I have in a month, if not ever then certainly in a very long time. My sister thinks I will roast her about this. I’m not. I did sign up for it. I just didn’t realize how unprepared for it I was. I guess I’ll be making adjustments to my activity routines to hopefully make the next trip, wherever that is, a little easier.

As I mentioned I discovered that I don’t really have the right things for making travel efficient. Particularly for multi-hop travel and for international travel. When I was first packing, I forgot I was checking bags so I neglected an item or two that I would have preferred to have along. The exclusion of the items didn’t cause problems, they just would have been beneficial. I’ll remember that for the next trip.

I also packed a few things that I didn’t use, or wear and that weren’t really useful. But they were meant to serve a particular purpose and I didn’t have another option for that. I’ll be working on that as well. When I made my trip to Australia, I wasn’t very efficient either, but I went by myself, and I hadn’t traveled internationally since I was a child and travel was really different then. This time I got to travel with my sister who has not only made a couple more international trips she also does a lot a travel for work. That allowed me to observe a somewhat different travel method and see the things that I think might work for me. I’ll be taking that information and using it for things like purchasing luggage and finding the right clothes and footwear. As well as the travel accessories that will make travel life just a little better. 

Along with learning new things for traveling I observed different behavior for living and getting around. When I was in Australia, my fist couple of days were in Sydney. This was the biggest city I had been to, to actually get around in in a very long time. And doing it on my own was new. I was fascinated by the masses of people moving about and the people and cars navigating and negotiating. I feel the same about Paris. The Sydney stay was really short, so I only got a small taste of city activity. This trip we stayed in Pars six days and had to find our coffee and breakfast and dinner opportunities most days. No, we didn’t eat in the hotel. We decided to eat in the cafés and restaurants in the surrounding neighborhood.

 We walked to and from our meals and we walked to and from most places we visited. We did take an Uber a couple of times and that worked out really well. I now have an idea of how-to Uber. But I haven’t used the app yet, so I guess I’ll need to get that going next. 

view of a street in Paris France with cars, motorcycles, and cars parked along the left side of the street. Stairs at the end of the street and red awning on the bottom floor shop on the building on the left.

I was once told that rural or country walking was much different than urban walking. At the time I was struggling to get a stride or cadence while walking through a field we had parked in for an event. The premise was that with rural or country walking, the ground is uneven and sometimes at odd angles and that sort of thing where walking in a city or urban setting with paved roads and sidewalks things are more solid and more even and the stride and cadence are different. I had a little fun pointing out to the person, who told me that rural walking was different than urban walking, that that assessment was not entirely accurate when it comes to walking in Paris. We had plenty of walking areas, there just weren’t many that were smooth and even. But they were good for exercise and probably helped to strengthen my ankles. 

I’ve been home almost a week now and several people have asked what I like best about Paris. That’s a difficult question for me to answer. Mostly because, as you can see, what I liked was probably not what people expect for an answer. I loved getting to see all the sites we made it to, I also loved being in the city as the city went about its day. I loved the activity and the mix of activity from the people off to their jobs, doing their jobs, to the older people doing their shopping or walking their pets. These are the things that I found most interesting and striking, and I know it’s because I come from a very suburban world where those activities are often segregated. Work happens miles away from where we live, shopping happens miles away from where we live, and pets might be walked, or they might have a fenced backyard in which to play. I also loved the movement, the activity. Not just of the city but for me. The need to be out and moving and walking to places to get things done. I know many people who prefer to just order things and have them delivered, and when there is a real need for that, like a pandemic, I do too. What I find now is that barring the need for significant car travel to get to places, I would prefer to go out to get my stuff myself. I like the activity. I would be happier if I could walk or even bike, safely, to the grocery store, or for a croissant, or to a bookstore, or art supply store, or any number of other places. Even if the place has to order what I need, the ability to walk a few blocks or so to pick it up a day or week later, really makes good sense to me. Especially when most times, I don’t need that whatever right away.

One of the other what did I like best questions was probably my favorite because it was specific and easier to answer. I was asked ‘what was my favorite thing to eat’. My answer was crème brulee with berries, and the croissants. I had several different crème brulees and that one was my favorite. And the croissants because they weren’t like the ones we get here. They didn’t linger in the mouth as an oily coating. They were of course quite buttery, and crisp and fresh and delicious. 

tile of an octopus sort of character depicted in smaller colorful tiles displayed on corner of square pillar

I found Paris to be a great city. I would absolutely go back. As I said I learned a lot during the trip, much of which I’m not sure I can really properly express. But much of it is likely to show as I go about re-orienting my world. And that’s the great thing about travel, when it’s not just for work that keeps you tucked in offices and hotels. When that isn’t happening, you get a chance to see different ideas, different approaches, different ways of thinking and being and it all provides you an opportunity to decide if how you’ve been doing things is still right for you. 

So that was my travel. Apologies that this post is late. I started it before we left Paris but wasn’t able to get back to it to finish it. It’s been quite a week back with lots to do at home and at the day job. I’ll be working on more of that induced demand idea because I think it is important. And I’ve come to recognize a couple of other places where it comes up. And I’ll be getting to some art again. I took a few pictures that I think will make great paintings. And there is a little of the art adventure from Paris to share. Though I did not have an opportunity to sit and sketch, maybe next time. Cheers.

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Update Correction

Posted on April 25, 2023 by SusanG
a picture of a woman (me) in an art supply store looking at art supplies

I was made aware of a typo in the last post. I said “I don’t know she will be back” with regards to my sister returning to France. That should have been “I know she will be back”.

Today we took an Uber to and from the Catacombs and while we were on that side of town, we came across one of the things I wanted to see while I am here. And art supply store. Specifically, one associated with Sennelier. I managed to spend no more than I would have spent at home if I’d ordered online. We also came across a bookstore and I bought a few books. I guess I’ll need to learn more French to go with the German so I can read them. Why not.

More when I get home and have a moment to unpack my things and my thoughts.

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Traveling – April 2023

Posted on April 24, 2023 by SusanG

As I noted at the end of my last post on induced demand, I do want to discuss that a little more, just not this week. I’m traveling. I was traveling last week too, for work, the day job. They wanted to do a sort of team building get the whole department together event. I would say it was reasonably successful with regards to accomplishing the goal. Probably a mixed result for some people though. About a third of the team got sick the first night which caused a need for adjustments the next couple of days. I was not one of the ones who got sick and I’m very grateful for that.

Picture of the Eiffel Tower in day time with clouds in the sky

I was not excited about the trip initially. I’m very good at getting stuck into a routine and it required a complete disruption of all my routines. And I don’t usually like group exercises, so I was quite reticent about going. However, it allowed me a chance to catch up with some colleagues outside my department and reconnect and connect face to face. A nice treat. An even bigger and better treat was what my sister had in mind.

I usually take the last week of April for vacation because it includes my birthday. It’s my treat for myself. This year my sister asked what I was doing for my birthday. At the time I didn’t know but when I mentioned the timing of the work trip, she said it was perfect. As it turned out my sister wanted to take me on a trip to Paris, France for my birthday. Yes. Please.

When you travel a lot for work and earn travel miles with airlines, sometimes, you just have to use them because why not. 

So now I am in Paris and having a great time. We’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysée, walked to the Louvre, and through the gardens, and had some lovely chocolate. Not to mention the croissants for breakfast. We’ve also been rained on pretty good but it’s Paris so who cares.

I’ve enjoyed our hotel which is in the middle of the city, maybe not exactly the middle. Certainly, the middle of things we want to see. It is very modern in its décor which I really like. We are located between the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. And yes, we walked to both in the same day. I may go home in better shape and having lost a few pounds as compared to when we arrived. We’ve walked a few miles and have many more miles to walk before the week ends. That is not a bad thing.

Picture of the glass pyramid in front of the Louvre with the Louvre building behind it and yellow looking bushes in front of it.

I’ve learned a few things about myself so far. One being that in spite of my Taekwondo workouts I do not move near enough and I don’t walk near enough. Of course, where I live does not lend itself to a lot of useful walking and that is a problem. Walking in my neighborhood for ‘exercise’ is not the same as walking as part of your everyday going about your business. When we walk for exercise, we often walk for a certain amount of time or a certain distance. And we walk differently. The pace and the gait are a little different, and our hands are often empty. When we walk as part of our everyday, we might be carrying things in our hands or in a bag over our shoulder or in a backpack. We might stop for lights or street crossings. We also might need to do a fair bit of direction changing to avoid others. All of this requires a different awareness of our bodies and the environment. We still get exercise, but it is very different and involves so much more than just the physical exercise.

Some other things I’ve noticed are more a recognition, or re-recognition of things I already knew or felt. Like feeling like I don’t really have the type of clothing and shoes that make it easy to pack a bag for travel. Not to mention the right luggage. And, ironically, I have too much stuff. At least that’s how I feel. I know, how do you have too much stuff and yet not enough? It’s about having the right stuff. The stuff that allows you to live the way you want to live or travel. Which is something that will come up in one of the upcoming posts related to induced demand.

Picture of a building in Paris France with a tree with pink/purple leaves or flowers on either side and multi-colored tulips in the foreground.

I am having a great time in Paris and am so thankful to my sister for wanting to bring me. I may be a little slow to get going, a little creaky in the body, and need an extra stop or two, but I would not have missed it for anything. And I won’t let any achy body parts keep me from seeing as much as we can. I don’t know she will be back, and I have a feeling I will too. She was here in November and now it’s April and she is already planning her next trip back. And I understand. I could definitely come back.

Enjoy the photos. I’ll be getting back to the topic of induced demand and its cousins soon.

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