Lets not get ahead of ourselves here. People are fat and unhealthy because they choose to be (they don't choose to be stupid so much). All the agendas in the world won't change mans love for laziness and greasy food.
It is true that if everyone lived a healthy lifestyle, many drugs and medications would see far less of a market share. However, it is the publics responsibility to live a healthy lifestyle, not the pharmaceutical industry. They have no reason to push people to live a healthy lifestyle.
Health insurance agencies, on the other hand, do. I'm surprised they don't put out more "healthy living" commercials.
when 9 out of 10 of the choices you're given (based on the average hours people work and the average income people have) are unhealthy, the choice is kinda taken out of your hands. hfcs is a big culprit to the problem as well. it's hard for the average family to find cheap recipes for meals that are healthy, easy to make, and don't have hfcs.
and, yes, agendas can change that. it's happened in local experiments across the country... they just need to try and do statewide experiments, then region-wide experiments, then implement it nationally if it's worked each time prior.
i know the pharmaceutical companies aren't going to push the public to be healthy and neither are most doctors, regardless of the specialty. i know that most chiropractors preach health all the time... do they take the time to talk to their patients about it and really engage in their patients' wellbeing? no. they don't have time because they have too many other patients to worry about. that's just how it is and it's wrong.
i take the time to consult with my patients about how important dieting and exercise is. i even took the time out of my weekend to send a diet plan for one of my patients about his piss-poor health (overweight, red face, eats bbq daily, drinks 4 beers per day and a few vodka drinks per day... told me his doctor gave him a clean bill of health... "fit as a horse, as they say" is what he said). he was surprised that his primary care NEVER told him about his diet or dangers of it or anything. she just simply took some vitals, listened to things, and that was it.
it's frustrating because when you earn the title "doctor," you are sworn to always put the patient first to the best of your ability. simply putting someone with high cholesterol on lipitor is not the way to go about it just because it's easier. on the chiropractic side of things, simply adjusting someone's spine and sending them out the door is not the way to go about things either... that's just absurd. might as well slap them on the back, say good luck with that whole type 2 diabetes thing, and that you'll pray for them.
the bar has to be raised across the spectrum of anyone who treats patients, no matter the field.
edit: you know why insurance companies don't want to worry about people being healthier? because they'll make less money.