Keep it Simple, Stupid!

As I age—I’m 73 now—I get more and more cranky. Am I the epitome of a cranky old Senior? Perhaps, but I’m hardly to be blamed for a little crank when I encounter crazy-making resources like this: The British Columbia Ministry of Health Services created a real dilly of a useful resource in their guide,  Healthy Eating for Seniors. Here are just a few of the helpful questions raised in its exhaustive search to inform Canadian seniors wondering what to eat: 

That’s a lot of questions, Canada!

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When a curious septuagenarian asks “what should I eat?” of an expert (i.e., a registered dietician), the response is often “It depends.” And let’s not forget that some seniors are living with chronic diseases that require additional menu scrutiny. For instance, if I have chronic kidney disease, should I be eating ANY processed foods that are high in sodium? Again, we revisit British Columbia’s <sarcasm> helpful </sarcasm>  guide for seniors:

What should I eat if I have: 

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Food for those with Parkinson’s or cancer? What a conundrum! There are more than 200 forms of cancer. If a Senior has throat cancer, the only food entering her body may be through an IV. Some mentally ill people take medication that exacerbates their fitness and waist size. Others are on so many meds that even a Pharmacological specialist can’t arrive at a necessary or appropriate selection of food to improve nutrition.

Here’s another pressing concern for the Nutrition Gestapo, whose intentions are pure and well-meaning: Health Literacy. AHIP (the association that represents health insurers) encourages its Health Plan constituents not to exceed 6^th Grade reading comprehension. My use of the word constituent fails that test; so do words like Riboflavin, potassium, cholesterol, etc. Healthrageous’ current enrollees are all Medicare Advantage; yet, one-third are Dual eligibles (Medicare & Medicaid qualified), where reading comprehension trends even lower than 6^th grade.

What is the Answer?

KISS. Just Keep it Simple, Stupid and the benefits will emerge. Few of us seniors want to read labels, count calories, log into journals, or abstain from favorite foods (my sin is ice cream). Though it’s often frowned upon to laud competitors (N.B., Presidential candidates often cite a contender without using her proper name), let me share a recent press release from the grocery giant Kroger and HomeChef, its branded line of prepared meals. HomeChef has launched Tempo, a new line of ready-to-heat-and-eat meals or in effect, Kroger’s store brand version of Healthrageous’ #MadeEasyMeals. Here’s how it is being positioned to consumers: 

With all of the demands on our customers' time, convenience is a top mealtime priority – but no one wants to sacrifice great taste or nutritional benefit for ease. With HomeChef’s Tempo, customers don't have to choose between a wholesome, flavorful meal and how much time they need to spend in the kitchen. 

Perhaps Tempo is learning from Healthrageous’ marketing campaigns - or my blogs! After all, imitation is the highest form of flattery. I am, indeed, flattered. But the good folks at Kroger are recognizing what many health plans are not practicing – simple, easy, friction-free vs. medically tailored (do Dual Eligibles have their own tailors?) is a no-brainer, a must-have. Don’t overburden your members with so much red tape that they decline to participate. After all, improving their health is in your health plan’s best interests.

So here’s my pointed question for you, dear reader: are you keeping it simple enough?

And if not, can my team help with that? We’re quite good at it, and our results are not only good, they’re good enough for Kroger to follow our lead. 

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So what do you say? Are you keeping it simple enough? We'd love to show you how we do it.

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