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God Forbid Is Our National Placebo

By Chika Odioemene, RN

Two words. Instant relief.

God forbid.

Comfort now. Crisis later.

It shows our anxiety. It shows how quickly we reach for comfort instead of control.

Because saying it does not erase risk. It only erases the conversation.

This is the pattern.

Someone names a health risk.

• The response is “God forbid.”

• The conversation ends.

• No plan is made.

• No measurement is taken.

  
  

Then the outcome shows up later and everyone acts surprised.

The next time you say “God forbid,” ask yourself one question.

What exactly are you forbidding away.

The event, or the knowledge to prevent it.

Because the event can still happen. The knowledge is the part you can act on.

The “God forbid” moments that matter

When someone says, “My sugar is high.”

God forbid.

But uncontrolled sugar over time can lead to blindness. God forbid.

It can lead to kidney damage and kidney failure. God forbid.

It increases the risk of stroke and heart disease. God forbid.

And the drivers are not mysterious.

• Sugary drinks.

• Portion overload.

• No routine monitoring.

• No follow up.

• Medication taken only when symptoms appear.

  So the real question is not “God forbid.”

  The real question is, what are you doing about the sugar.

When someone says, “My blood pressure is high.”

God forbid.

But uncontrolled blood pressure can lead to stroke. God forbid.

It can contribute to heart attack and heart failure. God forbid.

It can damage the kidneys quietly for years. God forbid.

Blood pressure is especially dangerous because it can stay high with no symptoms.

And the drivers are not accidental.

• Salt heavy meals.

• Missed medication.

• Stress plus poor sleep.

• No home monitoring.

• No consistent follow up.

  So the question is not “God forbid.”

  The question is, what is your plan to bring it down.

Faith and prevention are not opponents

This is not a call to abandon faith.

Faith can sustain you. Prevention can protect you.

Prayer can be part of your life. It is not a substitute for monitoring, follow up, medication adherence, and habit change. Hope and health science are on the same side when the goal is to keep someone alive and well.

The real problem is not the phrase

The real problem is what the phrase replaces.

• It replaces curiosity with closure.

• It replaces planning with reassurance.

• It replaces prevention with silence.

And that silence is where non communicable diseases grow.

Here is the start to prevent non-communicable diseases

If you want “God forbid” to become useful, let it trigger a prevention reset for the biggest preventable threats, stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, and diabetes complications.

Ask yourself, today:

Do I have a plan, not a wish, to reduce risk.

Do I know what I eat daily that raises salt and sugar load.

Ask yourself, this week:

Do I know my blood pressure number.

Do I know my A1C.

Do I know my cholesterol level.

Do I know my BMI and weight trend.

Did I exercise at least a little, and can I repeat it tomorrow.

ABCDE is a simple structure

A is A1C. Know it and track it.

B is Blood pressure. Know it and track it.

C is Cholesterol. Know it and track it.

D is Diet. Adjust the routine that is driving risk.

E is Exercise and BMI. Move consistently and track your weight trend.

If you do not measure, you are managing with hope.

To learn more, follow our social handles and join our Utopian Healthcare community outreach for blood pressure checks, A1C awareness, cholesterol education, and practical steps to prevent non communicable diseases.