Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, a medical professional specializing in intensive care and founder of the Resource Optimization Network, never thought much about prevention. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit — and he couldn’t help but notice the patients coming through his ICU had some key things in common.

“We saw more and more of a link with people with metabolic syndrome, people with obesity, Type 2 diabetes, people with dyslipidemia, or high cholesterol,” Kyeremanteng says in a talk given at the CrossFit for Health Summit on Feb. 3, 2024, in Austin, Texas. “I've worked in three hospitals seeing COVID for the last close to four years — I still haven't taken care of somebody that was completely healthy.”

The effects of the pandemic — physical, social, and economic — have been devastating and costly. And the lesson?

“Prevention — that is the prescription,” Kyeremanteng says. “You're not gonna be using the sick-care system if you are healthy; if you are getting to the gym, eating well, creating a sense of community, and reducing your stress. That’s where the money’s at.”

CHAPTERS
0:00-3:21 - The shock of the COVID-19 pandemic.
3:22-5:36 - Metabolic syndrome and COVID-19: an unrecognized link.
5:39-7:22 - How the response to COVID-19 exacerbated the problems.
7:25-9:45 - The answers are out there, but nobody’s listening: the lack of nutrition education in medicine.
9:50-13:11 - The harsh realities of the intensive-care unit.
13:14-15:56 - The life-saving power of fitness.
15:57-17:02 - Good prehab makes for better rehab.
17:40-18:39 - Great people doing great work in their communities.
18:41-24:13 - The cost of hospital admissions and prevention as the prescription.
24:22-25:49 - A missed opportunity in patient nutrition.
25:51-28:00 - The socioeconomic inequality of the COVID-19 pandemic.
28:40-30:39 - A call to action: Spread the word.

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