In a recent address to the Fountain Hills AZ Tea Party, U.S. Representative (AZ-01) David Schweikert discussed a number of looming concerns that U.S. citizens are facing, namely dependency, high death rates and most notably, the ongoing diabetes health crisis in America.

After an opening prayer provided by Dr. Richard Rutkowski, Schweikert began his address with a question.

“Does anyone here plan to live more than nine years?” Schweikert said, referring to the Social Security Trust Fund’s projected reserve depletion in 2034. “Our back of the napkin math is that at that time, you functionally double senior poverty.”

According to Schweikert, healthcare is the single biggest driver of U.S. debt and diabetes is the single largest contributor to U.S. healthcare costs. Fix those, and Schweikert says economic growth is in the cards again.

“This isn't Republican/ Democrat. This is math,” he said.

Devil in the data

“Over the coming decades, I need the debt to not grow faster than the size of the economy,” Schweikert said, pointing to a number of demographic concerns that are driving labor force participation issues. One such concern is a falling U.S. dependency ratio.

In a chart put together by Schweikert’s team of economists, the dependency ratio shows a gradual decline in working-age individuals in the U.S. for every dependent individual.

“We don’t have enough kids,” Schweikert said. “In 18 years, the United States will have more deaths than births.”

Schweikert also points to the number of young working-age men who are dying at an unforgiving clip and a falling U.S. fertility rate as reasons for poor family formation and economic decline.

While U.S. life expectancy outcomes seem dim, Schwikert says that once one reaches the age of 65, longevity actually takes a turn for the better; the challenge is simply getting there.

Take on Labor Market

Outside the numbers, Schweikert said “importing poverty” through U.S. borders crushes U.S. workers.

“You gotta understand, the fastest way to make someone that didn't graduate high school, but he's out hanging drywall, he got married when he was 17 but he's working his heart out – the fastest way to destroy his future: Import a couple million people with a similar skillset,” he said. “Speaking as just an economist, we’re killing our own poor.”

To resolve his labor concern, Schweikert said the U.S should look to Germany, Australia and New Zealand, which use points-based systems enabling employers to attract skilled foreign workers and migrants to earn points towards residency.

Diabetes in focus

There’s an ongoing health crisis going on in America which is at the center of Schweikert’s formula for economic growth.

“We need to radically change obesity in America,” he said. “We have six states now that over 40% of the population is obese. You want to know why your young men are dying? That's the number one.”

According to Schweikert, 33% of all healthcare is spent on diabetes and 31% of all Medicare is spent on diabetes. He also states that 50% of the entire healthcare spend in America is allocated to only 5% of the entire U.S. population.

“Stop handing out EBT cards to go buy onion rings,” he said, pointing to a few solutions for obesity, including promising stem cell research and new tech like the highly anticipated Apple Watch, intended to provide noninvasive blood glucose monitoring. Schweikert said this will help manage obesity and reward people for paying attention to their bodies.

“Think about what America did with cigarettes. I think you have the right to smoke. I also think you have an obligation to pay your own costs. You have the right to be obese. Should you pay your own costs? I get accused of being fat-phobic. Well, no, I'm just trying to save people's lives.”