Carole Carson

How Heavy Is Your Fitness Footprint?

When I hear strident voices arguing about options for healthcare reform, I picture passengers arguing about the arrangement of deck chairs on the Titanic.

 

You don’t have to be a math major to figure out that the majority of American adults who are overweight (66 percent, or 200 million citizens) are inadvertently putting themselves at risk for life-threatening, expensive-to-treat medical problems. Surplus pounds increase the risk for diabetes, certain cancers and stroke. And having even one of four factors commonly referred to as the deadly quartet (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high triglyceride levels) increases the risk of heart disease. Combined, they are a likely predictor of premature death.

 

The number of supersized children is also worrisome: nearly one-fifth of our nation’s 4-year-olds are obese. Since 1980, the number of overweight children has doubled; for adolescents the number has tripled. The long-term effects of childhood obesity (elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, joint problems, type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, asthma, depression and anxiety) will require intensive medical intervention. Researchers predict that this may be the first generation in the past two centuries to have shorter lives than their parents.

 

Given this context, those debating the merits of various payment plans to reform our current “disease management system,” as Dr. Andrew Weil labels it, seem to be ignoring the reality that the ship is sinking.

 

Granted, we need to make medical care more accessible and affordable and reduce unnecessary costs. But far more importantly, we need to place people in lifeboats. We need to figure out how to reduce lifestyle-related diseases that trigger the need for expensive medical care in the first place. We need to lighten our fitness footprint.

 

I coined this term to describe the impact of our personal lifestyle on health and life expectancy, along with the global impact on the environment. A healthy body on a healthy planet is the goal. But this goal can be achieved only if we reverse the unchecked epidemic of obesity. As waists become thicker, footprints become heavier.

 

Measuring and taking stock can be life-saving. When I stepped naked on the bathroom scale one morning and it broke, I knew I had to lose weight. What I didn’t know was that 183 pounds on a 5-foot-2-inch frame placed me in the 90th percentile for heart disease, cancer and stroke—plus a few other conditions that had yet to show up on tests. (Evidently, most of the calories I burned were ones spent digging my grave with a fork and spoon.) After changing my lifestyle and losing weight, my forgiving body scored in the normal range, and I (and my insurer) avoided thousands of dollars in medical expenses.

 

Until that point, I failed to connect the dots. I failed to see the connection between my lifestyle and the very real complications that would eventually play out as life-threatening medical problems requiring expensive medical treatment. I also failed to see the connection between my food choices and their impact on the environment. My ignorance could have cost me my life, hence my passion for encouraging others to take stock before it is too late.

 

Measuring your fitness footprint is the first step in achieving a healthy body on a healthy planet. Here are three areas to assess:

 

• Health Risks: How does your lifestyle influence your blood pressure, body mass index, body fat and risk of a heart attack, a stroke or diabetes? Are you increasing your risk of life-threatening medical problems by indulging in a sedentary lifestyle or too many burgers and fries? Are your medical bills contributing to the estimated $147 billion Americans will spend on weight-related medical care? To calculate your risk for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and stroke, go here.
• Longevity: How does your lifestyle influence the length of your life? Do you eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily? Are you connected in a meaningful way to others? Do you exercise on a regular basis? How much alcohol do you drink? Do you smoke? To calculate your physiological age and how long you can expect to live given your current lifestyle, go here.
• Food Choices: How does your choice of food impact the environment? What we choose to eat is critical because the production and consumption of food may account for one-third of the total global carbon emissions. According to ecological measures, we need all the farms we have now plus many more on nearby planets if we are to sustain our current habits. To calculate the impact of your food choices, go here.

It’s not difficult to lighten your fitness footprint. You can begin by making a few simple, ecologically friendly food and lifestyle choices part of your daily routine.

Follow the seasons when choosing foods and, when possible, purchase produce from local growers. Make creative use of leftovers so food is not wasted. Pick one day a week to enjoy a meatless meal. Stop eating when you are no longer hungry rather than when you are full.

Integrate movement into your day, whether that means pacing the floor when you talk on the phone or taking the stairs instead of an elevator. Support community groups that are working to create foot-friendly communities through the construction of trails, parks and bicycle paths. Recycle your tennis shoes and carry a reusable water bottle. When possible, go outdoors and exercise with a positive friend. Stay socially connected and laugh a lot.

It’s been over 97 years since the Titanic sunk. I hope the acrimonious debate about medical care doesn’t take that long. Fortunately for us, we don’t have to wait for its conclusion before we begin our own healthcare reform. While there’s still time, we need to lighten our fitness footprint so we are nimble enough to scramble into a lifeboat.

What Is the Relationship between Lifestyle and Medical Problems?

As coach for the AARP Fat 2 Fit online community, I ask experts to share their insight on issues involving fitness. One such expert is Dr. Maxine Barish-Wreden, the comedical director of the Sutter Downtown Integrative Health program in Sacramento, California.

 

I asked Dr. Max (as her patients call her), “What is the relationship between lifestyle and the medical problems your patients come to you for?” Her answer follows:

 

As a practicing internist, I see many patients in my office who are dealing with medical symptoms and diseases that are the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices—poor nutritional intake, excessive caloric intake, sedentary lifestyles, tobacco abuse, chronic stress, ongoing unhappiness and social isolation.

Over time, these choices have led to a costly epidemic of many chronic medical conditions, including obesity, heart and vascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, dementia, arthritis and cancer. The good news is that the human body has a phenomenal capacity to heal, even after many years of poor self-care.

 

When we clean up our diets by eating less meat and more plant-based foods; when we exercise, cut calories and lose weight; and when we slow down and savor our lives more, we give ourselves the opportunity to heal, and our bodies often respond miraculously. It's never too late to begin. Healing is yours when you focus your intention, attention and action on what you want for yourself.

 

As her comments convey, Dr. Max strongly believes in the capacity of the human body, psyche and spirit to heal, given the appropriate environment. Through treatment of her patients and through her writing, Dr. Max guides and informs individuals on the positive effects of lifestyle choices—including nutrition and exercise—on health and wellness.

 

Maxine Barish-Wreden, MD

 

Dr. Maxine Barish-Wreden is the coauthor of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Secrets of Longevity and also coauthors a syndicated newspaper column with her medical partner, Dr. Kay Judge. Dr. Max holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from the University of Maryland and graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She has a long-term interest in complementary medicine, particularly the mind-body-spirit connection.

 

If Counting Calories Is Not for You

While many of us recognize that we are overweight and need to cut back on calories, we don’t necessarily know how this goal is best accomplished, especially given the conflicting advice from experts.

Fad diets—whether they are unrealistically limiting in food choices or nutritionally sound—seem to hit the market with regularity. The latest diet book rises to the top of the heap, only to be replaced by another fad diet a few months later. Foods such as eggs are considered bad for our health one week; the next week, they are considered an ideal source of protein.

Amid all the confusion, what’s a person to do? Ideally, we would each keep track of our caloric intake, independent of our food choices. If we needed to lose weight, we would make the appropriate adjustments. But after working with hundreds of people trying to lose weight, I am certain that some individuals (like my husband) will never keep a food journal. Like many, he will never check a calorie guide to find out how many calories are in the cheeseburger and french fries he ate for lunch. But not counting calories doesn’t mean my husband has to give up losing weight.

If you, like my husband, resist calorie counting, you can still achieve your weight-loss goal by using the half-plate rule.

Here’s the rule in a nutshell: Before eating, load the right side of your plate with salad, fruit or nonstarchy vegetables (such as broccoli or zucchini). Divide the other side between protein (such as lean meat or beans) and a starch (such as potatoes, rice or corn).

If you follow the half-plate rule, you’ll reduce your caloric intake without measuring each calorie you consume (assuming, of course, that you don’t eat a second and third helping). And this guide is handy even for calorie counters in situations where calories are difficult to measure, such as at a restaurant or in someone’s home.

The half-plate rule is an idea conceived of and promoted by Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab. Researchers are working to discover why, what, when and how much people eat. We appreciate this useful insight because we can use all the help we can get.

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."                    Albert Einstein

A Fountain of Youth—for the Brain?

A decade or two ago, memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease were inevitable clouds threatening to darken the senior years for many. But recently, a number of studies have challenged the notion that mental deterioration is an inevitable part of aging.

Just as we learned that the physical deterioration we associated with aging is in large part a function of lifestyle, we’ve learned that the amount and kind of mental deterioration associated with aging is also related to lifestyle.

Memory loss is not inevitable, and the risk of Parkinson’s disease, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease can be reduced through the daily choices we make, particularly with regard to exercise.

With increasing consistency, researchers assert that regular aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking at least three days a week for 45 minutes, improves the odds of maintaining memory and executive control functions, such as planning, scheduling and multitasking.

Researchers have also confirmed that learning new skills and playing games that require concentration, spatial learning, memory and processing speed also help maintain brain health.

And those of us who love coffee get an added boost. Researchers assert that caffeine improves mental processing and memory skills. Longterm coffee drinkers also have a lower incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Adding mental and physical exercise to one’s routine, along with drinking a few cups of coffee each day, are positive steps we can take. What do we need to avoid?

First, we need to avoid being overweight. Surplus weight can lead to diabetes, which affects memory and other mental functions.

Second, we need to keep our blood pressure in the normal range. Researchers can’t explain why hypertension results in memory loss or mental deterioration. But even if we don’t understand the mechanics, the conclusions remain clear. If necessary, we need to treat hypertension as part of a program to maintain brain health.

Here’s the bottom line if you want to preserve your memory, protect yourself from dementia or simply stay sharp:

• Exercise 30 to 60 minutes each day

• Maintain a normal weight

• Keep your blood pressure under control

• Enjoy coffee (if it doesn’t overstimulate you)

• Challenge yourself through learning and staying engaged

The essence of who we are is dependent upon the functioning of our brain, and the implications of these research results are clear. Although we cannot keep the days from passing or change our genetic inheritance, we can adopt healthy habits today that will improve the odds of maintaining a healthy and normally functioning brain tomorrow.

"Age is an opportunity no less than youth itself."                            Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Survival of the Fittest?

Medical care costs continue to rise. This fact has implications for all of us, but especially for persons of retirement age.

Financial experts at Fidelity Investments advise retirees to set aside nearly $250,000 to cover medical expenses during their senior years. According to Fidelity’s analysis, projected medical costs have risen 50 percent over the past seven years. Equally troubling is the observation that the trend upward shows no sign of abating, and the Medicare trust fund is expected to be insolvent by 2019.

Will these worrisome costs trigger changes in lifestyle? Will we decide to become fit to reduce medical expenses? Or will only the fittest survive?

A significant percent (some experts place the estimate at 80 percent) of the medical expenses we incur are a function of lifestyle choices such as eating too much, smoking, not exercising consistently and abusing drugs and alcohol. The implication is clear: we can prevent the majority of medical illnesses and associated costs by adopting healthful lifestyles.

If we can no longer afford expensive care or prescription drugs to deal with our medical conditions, we certainly will have a strong incentive to stay as fit as possible.

Before I decided to lose weight and get fit, my medical insurer had a file on me that was at least five inches thick. Much of what I was treated for, whether it was gallbladder surgery or chest pain, was a function of lifestyle. I ate too much, so I weighed too much. I seldom exercised, and I enjoyed nightly cocktails. One overnight stay in the hospital for chest pain cost several thousand dollars.

Today, I keep my weight in the normal range, I exercise each day and I limit alcohol to an occasional glass of wine. As a consequence, except for an occasional sinus infection, my medical expenses are minimal. I want to keep them this way, partly to preserve my good health but also to preserve my nest egg. As medical care costs continue to rise, survival of the fittest may take on a new meaning.

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life."                    Charles Darwin

Five Steps to Avoid a Broken Heart

The heart is a muscle that some of us forget to appreciate until it is broken. In 1963, Congress instructed the president to declare each February American Heart Month to encourage citizens to join in the battle to reduce the devastating impact of cardiovascular disease. Even though cancer threatens to overtake the lead in 2010, cardiovascular disease, including stroke, remains the leading cause of death in the United States.

 

Putting it in human terms makes the statistics more real. According to the American Heart Association, 2 out of 3 men and 1 out of 2 women who reach the age of 40 can expect to develop cardiovascular disease.

 

In light of these statistics, I asked Dr. David Sabgir, a board-certified cardiologist who created the Walk with a Doc Program, how to avoid a broken heart.

 

Here are the five steps he recommended:

 

1. Walk more. Exercise is essential for good heart health. Walking benefits the heart in many ways. It raises HDL (good cholesterol), lowers blood pressure, regulates glucose levels and decreases stress.

 

2. Laugh more. Mental stress damages the endothelium, which is the inside of our blood vessels. This damage can lead to inflammation that can cause fat and cholesterol buildup in the coronary arteries and ultimately lead to a heart attack.

 

3. Cut back on fattening foods and add more fruits and vegetables to your plate. Loaded with nutrients, low in fat and high in fiber, fruits and vegetables are an essential part of a healthy-heart diet.

 

4. Monitor your health measurements and test results. Control your blood pressure through changes in lifestyle and/or medicine. Manage your weight and get rid of surplus pounds. Compare the results of periodic cholesterol tests to make sure your numbers are headed in the right direction.

 

5. Moderate alcohol consumption. If you do not drink, do not start. If you do drink alcohol, drink in moderation. Alcohol in moderation lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke.

 

The best part of Dr. Sabgir’s advice is that his suggestions are easily implemented. None of them cost a lot of money, require expensive equipment or take a lot of time. Yet once adopted, the five steps will protect your most valuable asset—a healthy, happy heart.

 

Join me in celebrating American Heart Month by taking your own steps to avoid a broken heart.

Escalating Medical Care Costs: Who Will Be Our Brother’s Keeper?

Medical care costs reached $ 2.3 trillion in 2008 and are expected to rise indefinitely at an annual rate of 9 to 10 percent.

 

In addition to the uninsured, middle-class Americans with insurance are feeling the pinch as the costs outstrip increases in income. In response to the growing financial burden, President-Elect Obama has made accessible and affordable medical care a top priority.

 

Yet 70 percent of medical care costs, or $ 1.61 trillion, is attributed to unhealthy lifestyle choices (smoking, poor eating habits and lack of exercise). This raises a compelling question: who will foot the bill?

 

A report by the Vitality Group, a provider of employer health and wellness programs, highlights the disconnect between personal responsibility for maintaining one’s health and financial responsibility for medical consequences. While 82 percent of those surveyed felt they were personally responsible for the state of their health, only 44 percent felt they had a financial responsibility for the cost of medical care.

 

Over half of those surveyed felt that employers and government should absorb the financial consequences of unhealthful lifestyle behaviors, rather than the individuals who engaged in the behaviors. Researchers also reported that the participants were reluctant to pay for wellness programs designed to teach healthful habits.

 

Spotlighting the disconnect between lifestyle choices and financial consequences provides useful insight for policymakers and employers seeking to reduce medical care costs. Even with the availability of sophisticated technological tools, social engineering is an imprecise mix of science and guesswork. Consequently, a variety of experiments are likely to be undertaken with the hope that one or more will be successful in reducing unhealthful lifestyle behaviors.

One approach is taxing unhealthful behaviors. Alabama’s fat tax falls in this category. Beginning in January 2009, obese state workers will risk a monthly increase of $25 in insurance costs if they fail to reduce their weight.

Equally controversial is the approach being proposed by New York Governor David Patterson—an 18 percent sales tax on sugary drinks and sodas. Governor Patterson estimates that this tax, if approved, would generate an estimated $400 million in revenue to offset rising medical care costs resulting from obesity.

 

His model is based on the success of the anti-tobacco campaign. Certainly anti-smoking advertisements have contributed to a decline in smoking; however, researchers have also found a clear correlation between the increased cost of cigarettes and a reduction in the number of smokers. According to statistics cited by Drs. Tom Farley and Deborah Cohen in their book, Prescription for a Healthy Nation, every 10 percent price increase on cigarettes reduced sales by about 3 percent.

 

Whether smokers connected the cost of their behavior with the cost of treating smoking-related ailments was irrelevant. Some quit smoking because of the expense. Those who continued were forced to offset some of the medical costs associated with smoking. (Even so, a $7 tax would be required to fully cover the additional costs of medical care associated with smoking.)

 

In Governor Patterson’s model, sugary drinks are the equivalent of cigarettes. Americans consume one-third of their calories from sugar; half of those come from sugary drinks that nutritionists consider empty calories—the drink is high in calories and low on nutrition. In addition, sugary drinks fail to satisfy hunger. Consequently, the surplus calories in the sugary drinks are added to the calories consumed in food. For these reasons, many experts consider sugary drinks to be the most significant factor in the rise of obesity.

 

If Governor Patterson’s tax initiative passes, public health officials believe they will see a correlation in reduction of the number of overweight or obese individuals, similar to the decline in the number of cigarette smokers.

 

According to Art Carlos, chief executive officer of the Vitality Group, “The increasing need for health care arises from the treatment of illnesses and medical problems that are preventable through more healthful lifestyle choices. Despite advances in medicine, physicians cannot undo the damage resulting from long term abuse of our bodies and are limited in their ability to reverse a lifetime of unhealthful habits. The solution will emerge when we are required to take personal accountability for the way we choose to live.”

 

We spend twice as much as other industrialized nations for medical care, yet we are losing ground on the health front. In the near future, rising medical costs will force us to answer the question: who will be our brother’s keeper?

"Am I my brother's keeper?"                    Bible, Genesis, chapter 4, verse 9

Nothing Comes between Me and My Slogan

Most days I find a way to sail through the temptations that would steer me away from my commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Other days—and I can never predict when they will occur—I am challenged to stay on course.

When the sweet siren song of seductive indulgence calls my name and my fitness plans are in danger of being shipwrecked, I need a reminder to help me navigate through the shoals. But what kind of reminder?

I needed an internal marketing plan. My first step was to order a personalized “Fat2Fit” license plate for my car. I knew that I could not drive a car with this message on the plate if I didn’t look fit. (Incidentally, I ordered the license plate a year before my book From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction was written and three years before it was published.)

My next idea was to find a meaningful mantra or slogan. Why did I need one? For the same reason advertisers spend millions to develop slogans—because they stick in our heads. If you’re old enough, you may remember Brylcreem’s slogan “A Little Dab’ll Do Ya,” the U.S. Forest Service’s slogan “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” or Wendy’s slogan “Where’s the Beef?” Why not, I asked myself, harness the power of a slogan to create awareness of my commitment to a healthy lifestyle? And if the slogan lost its impact over time, I could adopt a new one.

Searching the Internet, I found a Web site that allows visitors to insert key words into well-known commercial slogans. I inserted the words body, fit, fitness and health. Here are a few of the generated slogans:

Make room in your life for your body.

All you need is a body and a dream.

Body is Job #1.

I’d walk a mile for a body.

A body is forever.

A body is a terrible thing to waste.

No size fits all.

Better living through fitness.

Because so much is riding on your health.

My body. My way.

I had so much fun playing with the slogan generator that I had to stop myself when the list approached 50. After all, how many slogans could I use?

I hope you’ll adopt one of these slogans or, better yet, create one of your own. Be sure to display the slogan where you will see it throughout the day—on the bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator door, in your wallet and on the dashboard of your car.

You can also have your slogan imprinted on a coffee cup or t-shirt—buy one for your friends and one for yourself. If you create your own slogan, be sure to send it to me so I can add it to the list. And please let me know if your internal marketing campaign steers you toward healthier choices.

I found it hard to pick my favorite slogan. Given my role as fitness advocate, I finally chose “Make Every Body Count."

"Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stearn resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind."                Leonardo DaVinci 

Exercise Is Good Medicine

In a recent blog, I wrote about my husband’s visit with his physician, Dr. Christine Newsom, for a conference following his annual physical examination. My husband, Dick, is very conscientious about monitoring his health, so he was eager to get the results of his tests. One red flag showed up—a modest rise in blood sugar, typically a precursor to diabetes. Instead of prescribing a drug, however, Dr. Newsom prescribed a combination of exercise and weight loss.

Specifically, Dr. Newsom prescribed 45 minutes of aerobic exercise each day. This would be in addition to the Silver Sneakers’ stretching and balance class Dick attends three times a week and the two sessions each week when he plays tennis. Even though Dick is 72, Dr. Newsom didn’t give him a “bye.” She further instructed him to lose 6 pounds in 3 months. To make sure he didn’t backslide, she arranged for her staff to schedule a follow-up appointment to track his progress.

Is Dr. Newsom’s treatment typical? If not, then it will be if the Exercise Is Medicine movement takes hold. On November 5, 2007, the American Medical Association (AMA) announced its campaign in partnership with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to encourage physicians to prescribe exercise to their patients. According to the AMA’s press release, “Physical activity is a fast-growing public health problem in this country and contributes to a variety of chronic diseases and health complications, including obesity, coronary artery disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, depression and anxiety, arthritis and osteoporosis. In addition to improving a patient’s overall health, increasing physical activity has proven effective in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases.”

In the past, various groups (insurers, government officials and some medical groups) have outspokenly promoted exercise as a way to improve health, particularly given that two-thirds of the adults in the United States are overweight and, worse, half of those are obese. This alliance encourages physicians to include exercise habits as part of the information collected and reviewed during examinations, along with other vital signs, such as blood pressure, temperature and cholesterol readings.

Dr. Ronald M. Davis, President of the American Medical Association, adds, “More than half of Americans don’t get nearly enough exercise and would be astounded to see how much difference a brisk 30-minute walk a few times a week makes in their overall health.”

Reinforcing the AMA’s position, Dr. Robert E. Sallis, President of the American College of Sports Medicine says, “We already advise against smoking; recommending exercise should be no different . . . Exercise can have tremendous health benefits for patients.”

The Exercise Is Medicine program has six facets. The primary task is to get physicians to prescribe exercises that are enjoyable and sustainable and will contribute to their patients’ health. The program also will encourage health and fitness professionals to promote exercise as a powerful medicine. In addition, the campaign will encourage patients to initiate conversations with their physicians about how to improve health and wellness through exercise. The program will also reach out to the media to broadcast the message, to policymakers and advocates to ensure that the program receives appropriate governmental backing and to supporting organizations throughout the world.

For years, I suffered through and was treated for a number of medical problems (for example, gallbladder disease and a torn hamstring) that were directly or indirectly related to my lack of fitness. My medical insurer accumulated a file about 2 inches thick, and it was probably filed under C for “chronic” rather than “Carson.” With hindsight, I can see that my medical problems could have been predicted. After all, I was obese and significantly underexercised.

Although I find it hard to believe, as a patient I never connected the dots (nor did any physician insist that I connect the dots) between my lifestyle and my medical problems. Thanks to Exercise Is Medicine, patients like me will get a “heads up” before they run up extensive medical bills (as I did) or, worse, before they develop chronic or fatal illnesses.

Exercise provides incredible medical benefits for a host of illnesses and conditions, and it is inexpensive and available to all. What better prescription drug could we find? Here’s hoping that exercise is routinely prescribed and that patients faithfully and consistently take their medicine.

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease"                    Thomas Edison

Fit in America: Coming to a Town Near You?

On any given day,

• nearly one out of two American women and one out of four American men are on a diet;
• over $50 billion is spent each year on dieting and diet-related products;
• four out of five 10-year-olds are worried about getting fat; and
• 33 percent of children are overweight.

Despite the attention and expense, we’re getting fatter. So what’s a country to do? Some countries have created their own solutions:

• Japan is measuring the waistlines of all citizens. Those who exceed the limit are required to attend classes and make healthy lifestyle changes.
• Mexico has introduced a national campaign to lose weight titled Vamos Por Un Million de Kilos, or Let’s Lose a Million Kilos.
• France has introduced a community-based initiative titled EPODE (Ensemble, Prēvenons l’Obésité Des Enfants, or Together, Let’s Prevent Obesity in Children). Successful in thinning children in the two pilot villages, the program has expanded to 113 villages.

Our national educational efforts, while laudable, are insufficient to trigger positive changes on a day-to-day basis. To trigger changes on a grand scale, we need a project far more imaginative than anything we’ve tried so far.

If we can harness our collective talent to put a man on the moon, surely we can direct our talents to create a fun-filled, dynamic U.S. fitness promotion campaign. If we can spend $700 billion to solve problems in the financial community, can’t we find a few million dollars to address a health concern that touches the lives of a majority of our citizens?

Let’s call the program Fit in America. Under this umbrella heading, leaders can organize group weight-loss programs that respond to the needs of each community. Fit in Atlanta can compete with Fit in Dallas. Fit in San Francisco can challenge Fit in Chicago.

Besides losing weight, we can also reinforce the sense of belonging. Being part of a larger effort will help rebuild the cohesiveness of the American people and shrink the gap resulting from the increasing polarization that has diminished our trust in one another.

Working together to lose weight and become fit, we will reaffirm that it is more fun to create than to tear down. We will discover that our differences are less important than our similarities are.

What do you think? Are you ready to bring Fit in America to a town near you?

 

"To pull together is to avoid being pulled apart"                        Bob Allisat

 

 

Note: “Funding Needed For Obesity Program in the U.S.A.” appeared October 21, 2008 on www.basilandspice.com. A similar article titled “Fit in America: Coming to a Town Near You?” appeared on www.gotogabby.com on October 17, 2008.