Angelina Jolie shows how it's done To what extent health has to do with luxury

For once, we're not complaining about rising health insurance premiums or questioning the national healthcare system - rather, we're questioning the affordability of a "healthy" lifestyle. Can those on the edge of subsistence be just as "healthy" as professional high-flyers?

We have accepted that the population is getting older and older, that the demands on health and care are increasing and that the use of advanced technologies has become indispensable - these three factors that are causing healthcare costs to rise.

And we Swiss are not in such a bad position. Rightly so, most people say, because somehow we believe we have a right to health, its preservation or restoration.

In Maslow's pyramid, health comes immediately after the absolute necessities of life, such as air to breathe, food to eat, water to drink and sleep.

It is at the level of safety needs and, together with the physiological needs just mentioned, belongs to the so-called deficit needs. In other words, those that - if they are not satisfied - make us feel bad.

But although we all believe we have a right to health, the issue is increasingly dividing us into a two-tier society. In most cases, only privileged people are in a position to take preventive care of their health.

Organic vegetables against cancer

A study recently published in France came to the conclusion that the majority of people who eat organic food have a significantly lower risk of cancer than those who do not.

This is attributed on the one hand to the lower level of harmful substances in these foods and on the other hand to the fact that people who buy organic vegetables generally have a healthier lifestyle.

However, the results of the study cannot yet be confirmed beyond doubt.

And if it is, then this immediately raises the next questions. Because organic vegetables are a drain on the household budget. Even if you're not strapped for cash and only buy organic produce, you may be shocked when you see the receipt.

A luxury - those who can opt for organic prices

This basket of 25 organic foods costs 50 percent more than conventional products. This was calculated by the Federal Office for Agriculture for a "Kassensturz" special based on consumer prices from August 2015.

Some products stand out in particular: a liter of conventional full cream, for example, cost CHF 6.27 at the time, while its organic counterpart cost CHF 13.14. Even those who buy organic cucumbers have to dig deep into their pockets. In 2015, three conventional cucumbers were available for 3.98 francs, while three organic cucumbers cost a hefty 8.37 francs.

"Organic products are worth every franc," said Bio-Suisse President Urs Brändli in an interview with "Kassensturz" at the time, explaining: "These are high-quality foods whose production does not pollute the environment and guarantees a high level of animal welfare."

Of course - but the truth is that anyone with a monthly income of around CHF 4,000, such as retail employees, simply cannot afford the luxury of buying only organic products.

And it gets even better

The need for health sometimes borders on self-optimization mania. The hotel industry has also recognized this. In addition to the already established wellness, yoga and hiking weekends, there are more and more offers in the medical spa category, especially in the five-star hotel industry. A whole arsenal of doctors is then on hand to thoroughly check out the wealthy clientele upon arrival.

Sleep diagnostics, energy medicine, burnout prevention, detox or a comprehensive gastrointestinal cure - everything is possible. And true to the motto, the top ten thousand then have themselves kneaded from head to toe, massaged - optimized for all they're worth - and often spend several thousand francs in a week. Health prevention for high earners - a utopia for average incomes.

Tailor-made provision

Personalized health" is booming. It promises optimal medical care based on person-specific data. This means that our genes and predispositions are used to determine which possible diseases or mutations we carry within us. This is a topic that initially raises ethical and data protection issues in many people's minds. Rightly so, and these issues are far from being regulated.

But personalized health can do a lot of good. Take Angelina Jolie, for example: after her mother's death from cancer, the petite actress underwent a genome analysis, which actually revealed a BRCA mutation responsible for ovarian and breast cancer. The result: Jolie went under the knife, had her ovaries and breasts removed and, as she is not short of financial means, had the latter reconstructed.

However, genome analysis not only provides information about whether we carry any diseases. It can also reveal which forms of therapy - for example, which active ingredient in a drug - our body responds positively to.

While the first genome analysis took over seven years, today such tests can be carried out by private providers in just a few days and at reasonable prices. In Switzerland, however, such gene tests are only permitted under medical supervision. This leads many Europeans to order so-called genetic test kits from the USA at the click of a mouse for little money.

Although the methods for genome analysis are slowly becoming affordable, not everyone can afford the costs of the subsequent therapies and measures.

Overall, it is an area of research on which much hope is based. Perhaps, in the end, our healthcare system really will be revolutionized and become affordable for the masses.