Does anyone agree with me that drug ads are creating a nation of "sick" people?

I think the last straw was the "Viva Viagra" ads. To listen to these pharmaceutical marketers, one would believe that one-third of all men have significant erectile issues. I don't believe it! Now lots of other "diseases" are springing up, like "restless legs," "overactive bladder," men's prostate "growing problems," etc., not to mention the ongoing hype reminding us constantly that our cholesterol is high, our blood pressure is high, we can't sleep, we're too nervous, etc.

I think America is a pretty healthy country, and if we would lose some weight and get some exercise we'd be even healthier. Does anyone agree with me that these ad campaigns are trying to make us all "choose" a disease to have and then sign up for lifetime pharmaceutical treatment for our "condition?"

I do believe this. I have always thought that there are just plainly too many drugs. Don't get my wrong, I am all for things like taking pain meds for headaches, or after things like surgery; however I also believe that America has a drug dependecy on pain meds. "I have arthritis, take a pill!" or "I have a war injury from 1965, take a pill!" People went thousands of years without the loads of drugs we put into our bodies nowadays.

What is the effect all these drugs are having on us? We are living longer to experience things that we have never expierenced before? Like....heart failure? Kidney failure? Cancer?

Why do we have all these drugs? To fix problems with the human body. Someone is born with deficiency of some sort, so they are to take a supplement for the rest of their life. What if that child was not suppose to live in 'the grand sceme of things'? What if that child was suppose to show the world how to live with the deficiency?

I agree agree agree

actually no, George Bush #2 is making america sick!!! and so are his playground partners!!!

you know thats a good way of looking at it. because they really are trying to get you to pick what disease you have or may think you have.

If you think that America is a pretty healthy country, think again. People who can afford health care, can afford on all these unnecessary junk, and the pharmaceuticals and health insurance companies are getting richer and richer. The 48 million and rising who doesn't have that "luxury" die faster, have poor eating habits, have risks of high blood presure, heart disease, diabetes, but sadly they don't know until they go into the ER.

I hate the word "see your doctor". Being uninsured, I don't have one.

If the ad shows you a condition you have that never really bothered you, you are now persuaded to seek treatment.

In Canada the pharmaceutical companies are not allowed to advertise drugs on TV.

I think that in a few cases, a person may see a commercial about a condition they had but didn't realize what it was, and this may prompt them to get proper treatment. However, I think that people should be the ones who help people figure out what's wrong, not drug commercials. The big problem today is our terrible health care system; doctors only care about money, not people's health, so they just sell a bunch of drugs and don't really help people with their problems. What happens is people just put more and more chemicals in their bodies (for problems that could easily be fixed by more natural cures, I might add), which lead to more problems that they take more drugs for, and a vicious cycle starts. These days, everything health-related is ruled by money and the wishes of corrupt drug companies. (This is one of the many reasons I would never consider a career in medicine, even though I have quite a bit of health information- I'll give people my input for free, but I refuse to take money for it. Good health is something everyone should have access to, not just the rich and those with great insurance.)