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Big Pharma

2024-07-10 Mama Minimalist

The US pharmaceutical industry is unique in that it markets directly to consumers (hey there, Zoloft commercial!). Through such direct-to-consumer marketing we have been spoon-fed the notion that every hint of a symptom requires a drug.

The result? Americans take more prescription medications today than at any other time in recent history.

On today’s show we uncover the pharmaceutical industry’s influence over the FDA and over consumers.

Here’s a preview:

[2:30] Do Americans take more prescription drugs than citizens in other countries?

[5:00] Prescription medication and the implications of its direct-to-consumer marketing

[9:30] Big pharma, the FDA, and a great big conflict of interest

[12:00] The connection between a patient’s desire for a quick fix and a physician’s prescribing habits

[19:00] 3 action steps re: conscious consumerism and prescription drugs

Resources mentioned:

Carbon Footprint Of The Global Pharmaceutical Industry And Relative Impact Of Its Major Players (via Journal Of Cleaner Production)
Too Many Meds? America’s Love Affair With Prescription Medication (via Consumer Reports)

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Saying No To New

New things are everywhere—and they’re causing us to disconnect from what we value most.

In a world that constantly tells us that new is better, our relentless pursuit of material wealth is costing us money, time and happiness. Worse, when we define ourselves by what we own rather than who we are, we reduce our lives to a single, superficial dimension.

On today’s show, New York Times journalist Eric Athas offers advice for stepping away from the cycle of constant buying, saying no to shallowness, and discovering the right kind of “new” in our lives.

Here's a preview:

[8:00] We're wired to become bored the familiar, and other truths to newness

[16:00] Consumption has costs! (In fact, it robs us of our finite attention, dilutes our capacity for genuine enjoyment, and misaligns our pursuit of happiness.)

[26:00] Musings on the ways in which overconsumption leads to superficiality

[37:00] Put down the trinket! Redefining what it means to experience novelty, growth, and freshness without relying on a transaction

Resources mentioned:

Saying No to New: Why New Things Are Stealing Your Time, Money, and Happiness―And How to Take Back Your Life
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My Story

Hello there, I’m Stephanie. I live a crazy, beautiful life as a full-time wife, blogger + mother to two spirited daughters. I’m on a mission to simplify eco-friendly living so as to greater enjoy life’s sweeter moments.

Want to know more? Read my story.