Over half of all insured Americans are taking prescribed medicine regularly for chronic health problems, according to a recent study. Americans are by far the largest consumers of medicine in the world.

America spends 16 percent of its gross domestic product on health care. This figure is predicted to rise to one third by 2030.

Almost two thirds of women over 20 years old use medication for chronic problems. The same is true for 52 percent of men, and three fourths of people over 65. One in four children are on medication.

According to the study, “The most widely used drugs are those to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol—problems often linked to heart disease, obesity and diabetes.” Even children in the U.S. are experiencing these ailments far more than in the past: One third are either overweight or obese; one in four show early signs of heart disease; type-2 diabetes is on the rise in children.

These problems can be mitigated if not corrected through lifestyle changes. But rather than evaluating their lives, discerning the causes of their sicknesses, and then working to make the necessary changes, many people would much rather take their medication and carry on with their lives. It’s so much easier.

America’s pop-a-pill culture finds its corollaries in many aspects of life. The economy is slowing down? Give everyone a pile of money. The Iraq war isn’t going as planned? Withdraw immediately. Many Americans tend to favor the quick fix over the solution that truly addresses the cause of the problem. It is apparent that as a nation, America is losing the will to truly solve its problems.

Do drugs even work? Is there a better way to solve your health problems? For answers, read our article “Does Medicine Deserve Your Faith?”