Healthcare industry, not private sector growth, fueling US economy?

A reader comment from the BusinessWeek Online article, "What's Really Propping Up The Economy?" Lead-in: "Since 2001, the health-care industry has added 1.7 million jobs. The rest of the private sector? None":

We are becoming a nation of invalids. Here is the USA's circle of life. Stuff your face, get fat, smoke, hospital, repeat till you die. Along the way get on disability and suck more money off the system. Everyone is sick. The medical industrial complex makes up more diseases and our government never tells people no. We consume health care and it will bankrupt us. Funny thing, most people aren't sick they are just anxious and depressed.

Scary ER doc St. Louis, MO USA

And this guy is (supposedly) an ER doctor? (The rest of the comments are pretty interesting, too).

Can't say I agree with the numbers (or the whole article, at that) but it's an interesting read, nonetheless.