I thought I’d share another version of a post I put on http://blog.goenergetix.com earlier today.  It was about Malcom Gladwell, author of “The Tipping Point,” “Blink,” “Outliers” and “What the Dog Saw.”   If you read that, don’t miss my comments on “Hello Health” below.

Mr. Gladwell makes a fascinating argument about marketing and happiness in this delightful TED presentation.  Telling the story of the work of Dr. Howard Moskowitz, Mr. Gladwell explains how companies that embrace the diversity of human beings – in their marketing, in their product design, and so on – help their consumers to find happiness.

Very clever analysis, don’t you think?  I work in the health and wellness industry and there is no doubt in my mind that we could benefit from this type of thinking when considering medical reform.  So much of medicine focuses on a “one-size-fits-all” approach and I often wonder how much more effective our health care practitioners would be if the idea of “universality” was secondary to the idea of “variability.” 

I’ve noticed a lot of talk and research money centering around the emerging health care system called “integrative medicine.”  This new system advocates a more holistic consideration of the patient, taking into account body, mind and spirit.  There is an underlying recognition and appreciation of the variability between patients, for not everyone with a digestive disorder or a cancerous condition will benefit from a predetermined universally prescribed treatment protocol.

The idea that medicine could be reformatted by virtue of Dr. Muskowitz’ discoveries about spaghetti sauce is intriguing, isn’t it?  Wouldn’t it be nice if your doctor, or rather, your team of doctors, could create a balanced strategy for meeting your particular health care concerns  based on your unique health signature?

There is an interesting organization in NYC called Hello Health that you might want to check out (see www.hellohealth.com)  This group of medical doctors has created an innovative practice management model that is making waves in the medical community.  I’ve enjoyed following them and have found their commentary on medical reform to be informative and courageous.   

Something to chew on anyway…do you have any Grey Poupon?