America’s Health Crisis Starts in the Doctor’s Office

Hi,

I’d consider myself someone who’s a little obsessed with health and fitness — and for good reason. I genuinely believe that if we take care of our bodies now, they’ll take care of us later. I love moving in any way I can, and after having my son 9 months ago, that passion only deepened. I want to become the strongest, healthiest version of myself for him — not just so I can be around to see him grow up and maybe have children of his own one day, but so I can live with vitality and independence, without relying on medications or mobility aids in the future.

That’s what led me to Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Dr. Peter Attia and Bill Gifford — one of the most highly recommended books on long-term health. And let me tell you, it completely reframed the way I think about health.

We throw the word “healthy” around so casually, but Outlive challenged me to define it in a more meaningful way. After reading it, I now see true health as a body functioning at its most efficient, with minimal risk for disease or dysfunction. The book outlines three key metrics for evaluating that:

1. Comprehensive blood work – to monitor everything from glucose levels to cholesterol balance.

2. VO₂ max test – the gold standard for cardiovascular fitness, measuring how efficiently your body uses oxygen during intense exercise.

3. DEXA scan – a detailed scan that analyzes body composition and bone density.

I decided to take all three. Here are my results:

• Blood Panel: Clean bill of health across the board.

• Body Fat: 25.1%. The average for women aged 20–39 is 37.8%, and the ideal range is 16–24%. I’m close, but I’ve got room to improve.

• Visceral Fat: 0.2 lbs (5.92 in³). A healthy range is 0.0–52.0, so I’m well within that.

• Bone Density (YA T-score): 3.7. Normal for my age and gender is 0 to 2, so my bones are in excellent shape.

• VO₂ Max: 40 ml/kg/min. For my demographic, 33.0–36.9 is “good” and 37.0–41.0 is “excellent” — so I’m proud to fall into the upper end.

Based on these results, the biggest area of improvement for me is body fat percentage. I’m actively working toward my goal of 24%. But here’s the thing — I never would’ve known to focus on that had I not taken these assessments.

Which brings me to this question:
Why aren’t these assessments part of routine healthcare?

Instead, we rely on outdated, oversimplified metrics like BMI — a tool developed in the 1800s that doesn’t account for body composition, muscle mass, or really anything beyond height and weight. Somehow, in the wealthiest country in the world, our healthcare system is still operating off of checkboxes and averages rather than individualized, evidence-based assessments.

We are facing record-high rates of obesity, infertility, and chronic disease — yet our healthcare model remains reactive instead of preventative. It waits until you're sick before taking action, rather than equipping you with the data to stay well. Worse, many of these advanced diagnostics aren’t even offered or explained unless you seek them out yourself, often at a significant personal cost.

It’s frustrating. It’s short-sighted. And frankly, it’s a disservice to all of us.

Health shouldn’t be a mystery you have to solve on your own. It should be the standard — not the exception.

Thanks for reading.