John Mackey Health Care Views Launch Whole Foods Boycott

by mbaumgartner | August 14, 2009 at 12:07 pm

1834 views | 48 Recommendations | 15 comments

Whole Food Market CEO John Mackey has caused a stir with his commentary in the Wall Street Journal which may launch a Whole Foods Market Boycott

People seem to be reacting strongly to a detailed piece, providing some real alternatives and adding to the rational debate about ObamaCare and public health care in general.

In his op-ed, "The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare," published Tuesday, Mackey criticized President Barack Obama's health care plan.

Mackey provided eight "reforms" he argued the U.S. can do to improve health care without increasing the deficit. He suggested that tax forms be revised to "make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to help the millions of people who have no insurance."

Mackey States:

While we clearly need health-care reform, the last thing our country needs is a massive new health-care entitlement that will create hundreds of billions of dollars of new unfunded deficits and move us much closer to a government takeover of our health-care system. Instead, we should be trying to achieve reforms by moving in the opposite direction—toward less government control and more individual empowerment.

It is likely not his comments about health maintenance that have upset his customers.

Rather than increase government spending and control, we need to address the root causes of poor health. This begins with the realization that every American adult is responsible for his or her own health.

Unfortunately many of our health-care problems are self-inflicted: two-thirds of Americans are now overweight and one-third are obese. Most of the diseases that kill us and account for about 70% of all health-care spending—heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and obesity—are mostly preventable through proper diet, exercise, not smoking, minimal alcohol consumption and other healthy lifestyle choices.

Recent scientific and medical evidence shows that a diet consisting of foods that are plant-based, nutrient dense and low-fat will help prevent and often reverse most degenerative diseases that kill us and are expensive to treat. We should be able to live largely disease-free lives until we are well into our 90s and even past 100 years of age.

It is more likely his suggestion that public health care as practiced in the UK and Canada is in fact a denial of right to health care:

Even in countries like Canada and the U.K., there is no intrinsic right to health care. Rather, citizens in these countries are told by government bureaucrats what health-care treatments they are eligible to receive and when they can receive them. All countries with socialized medicine ration health care by forcing their citizens to wait in lines to receive scarce treatments.

His effort though is at least a rational attempt to provide some discourse and debate around the real principles of the Health Care Reform in the US. Which is a long way from the Town Hall debacles of the past weeks.

Here's what people are saying:

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eastvanray

at 13:08 on August 14th, 2009

This is insightful and timely. What on earth would people boycott his comapny for stating the obvious? Do these people take issue with the facts he presented? I am baffled.

Zlender

at 13:42 on August 14th, 2009

Finally someone that is not afraid to say what he thinks.

hadsie

at 13:55 on August 14th, 2009

This is crazy. Someone presents arguments and their opinions against an idea and you want to boycott his him and his company. Isn't that how democracy and freedom of speech is suppose to work? His comments about CAD healthcare may be a bit harsh, but they're not at all far from the truth.

eastvanray

at 14:06 on August 14th, 2009

Actually his comments about the Canadian health care system are accurate. However our system is no different in rationing treatment than the way HMO's work in the US. No one believes average Americans have unfettered access to all treatments. The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in between.

maxnet

at 15:31 on August 14th, 2009

What exactly are American Values "Every Man for Himself" ? Just curious... nobody wants more debt - but what's the problem with wanting health care for all Americans - too many people seem to think that's a bad idea.

eastvanray

at 16:05 on August 14th, 2009

The debate is not about healthcare for all Americans. It is about a specific proposal(s) on the table right now intended to achieve that goal. I doubt many Americans believe that their fellow citizens should not have the opportunity for coverage, they seem to have an issue with the specific solution(s) being tabled.

American Values on trial (not verified)

at 16:38 on August 14th, 2009

I have to disagree - that's not what I see at all. I see lots of people screaming about socialism, most of them have no idea what it means, disrupting the forum for public debate defending a system they call "American". All the while polluting the debate by fear-mongering about "Death Panels"... so I think the question about values is fair - they are definitely on trial here - an America is failing to make a clear statement about the value it places on its citizens' well-being, it has for a long time, badly... both sides - but mainly the right and mainly the past 8 years. It's OK to go into deficit to bomb people overseas, but better not try that to keep those who can't afford it healthy...

kayumochi

at 19:53 on August 14th, 2009

For 15 years I was a part of the Japanese healthcare system, a market-based, single payer system that while isn't perfect is a whole lot better than what we have here in the States (80% of the hospitals and clinics are privately owned - a percentage higher than in the USA). In the mid-1990's Taiwan created a single payer healthcare system from scratch by searching the world for what worked and what didn't. About the same time Israel went with a more expensive healthcare system that wouldn't be possible without generous financial contributions from the USA. Maybe we should ask the Israeli lobby to get us the healthcare we deserve.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 20:16 on August 14th, 2009

The discussion here is just more of the same. Since when is health care a right or left issue. Shake your head people and figure out a way it is best delivered.

Don't pick out the worst examples of the either Canadian or British Health Care. Ask yourselves how it is best delivered, by being objective and actually looking at all aspects of British or Canadian Health Care. How about Health Care in France, Holland, Sweden and other places.

My suggestion to the American public would be, not to let the spinners on either side overwhelm you, but be openminded to checking the facts yourself. Be sure in your mind of what you want Health Care to be and don't become a parrot for someone else.

Ok I said my piece

Barry ORegan

at 06:17 on August 15th, 2009

Quite the Controversy Mark, excellent story to Boot. A good read, including the comments.

Thanks

Debbie Simmons (not verified)

at 01:55 on August 18th, 2009

Yes, I believe what we put into our bodies (hormones,pestesides, chemicals and fillers) all show up sometime in our life. Many people try very hard to avoid eating foods prepared with these substances and many will find themselves with problems later in life wondering how they could have possibly gotten it. Expensive today may forgo the costs later in life..maybe an expensive car isn't as important anymore?

Allen Appell (not verified)

at 06:53 on August 20th, 2009

John Mackey presents a clear understanding of the issues and presents conclusions based on facts. It is unfortunate that doctrinare leftists are unable to discuss issues intelligently instead of resorting to their unfounded premises and emotions.

Scotty D (not verified)

at 12:20 on September 1st, 2009

To Roy C,Struggling with your non-stop drum beating on how all of these systems will collapse under the weight of aging populations. Our employer-insurance model is just as susceptible to that problem (actually more so) as many of the systems you mention. (how many 70+ year-olds are still employed?)And simply pointing out the flaws in the ideas of those at the pulpit isn't really the same thing as having ideas of your own. Share THOSE, and leave the criticisms of others until after you have. Besides, your ideas for a better solution must be good. If you're half as good at coming up with new ideas as you are in Googling the ideas, statistics and hard-work research of others, I'm sure we'll have LOTS to ponder.We're waiting.

Scotty D (not verified)

at 15:49 on September 2nd, 2009

Haha. Then let him, okay?I wasn't getting personal, I was merely suggesting that the ideas and arguments he shared have all been shared many times before and are all widely available to anyone with Google and about 5 minutes. Apologies to Roy if he felt that my irony-loving style was a personal attack. Point is my read from his writing style is that of a pretty intelligent man that might enjoy a good barb from time to time. I never pick on the uninitiated. Love fest aside--so far, all I saw was an overly-simplistic straw-man argument. You (speaking to Roy now) can't argue that our system should remain the same because there aren't enough children born in x-country or the average age in y-country is too high. If you want to say how we can't afford it because our population is ALREADY too demographically-challenged then you'll have to address the simple fact that Japan and Europe are much farther along on this scale than we are. You'll then have to explain how the employer-based model is less prone to this problem. Or you'll have to suggest a 3rd way. Which I'd love to hear. I'm not a big fan of the US getting into the healthcare business, but I must admit--as much as I hate to EVER say this--it is the lesser of the only two evils being suggested at this point. So, I say to Roy--you seem like a man who has thought about this a lot. And yes, you even seem like you "know your stuff." So let's elevate this conversation. Give us that 3rd way--give us a system that works for US. (pun intended) S.