Be The Change.

With the new administration in office now, I know there is a lot of talk and speculation going on about the current state our healthcare is in and what is going to be done about it.  I just read this great article in the Los Angeles Times that suggests that instead of us sitting around waiting for change to happen...we need to take on a little more responsibility for our own health...

"During Obama's campaign, the soon-to-be president spoke frequently of sacrifice and self-responsibility. When it comes to healthcare, however, he's failing to hold people accountable for their own unhealthful behaviors and the overwhelming financial effect they have. He needs to insist that everyone play a part in solving our national healthcare crisis."

This is not political, at the heart of this debate is Americans health and fitness and how 

that impacts our daily life.

The current health epidemics we are facing today are largely due to our 

bad habits 

such as smoking, overeating and the fact that we are so sedentary.... to most people, 

physical activity has become an anathema.

Below are some alarming statistics from the article...

"Overeating has practically become a national pastime, and the percentage of people who are overweight or obese has soared to more than 60%"

"We not only eat too much, we eat all the wrong things. Fewer than 25% of adults consume the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and fewer than half of children get adequate amounts of calcium in their diet."

"Soda has emerged as our national drink; recent surveys estimate that roughly 40% of young children and more than 60% of adults drink soda each day. "

"We live sedentary lives. According to statistics maintained by the Department of Labor, men and women in the U.S. spend between two and three hours each day watching television and less than 20 minutes participating in sports and exercise." 

If you read those statistics and thought...SO!?!?! Take a look below as the article goes on to point out the effects those statistics have on government spending. Then it starts to become clear the impact it has on all of us.

"According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, medical expenditures associated with being overweight or obese may exceed $78 billion annually. For smoking, the numbers are thought to approach $75 billion each year."

"Inactivity is estimated to cost us an additional $24 billion, according to a Harvard University study published in 1999. Sexually transmitted diseases run more than $8 billion a year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Drug-use costs roughly $15 billion, says the Office of National Drug Control Policy; and alcohol abuse $26 billion, says the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism."

The article goes on to say that for some people a change in behavior may be difficult and for some nearly impossible.  For a very small number of people that may be the case.  For the majority of people, I don't buy it.  There is no chemical addiction to soda, people need to reach for water or a glass of milk instead of reaching for a coke.  Same thing with our sedentary existence... there is no SOUND REASON why people are watching  2 to 3 hours of television EVERYDAY (which I think seems conservative) but "can't find time" to spend just TWENTY minutes doing some form of physical activity.

It is time that we ALL, collectively take on a little more personal responsibility for our health and managing the care of it.  Some of the choices that need to be made are NOT the easiest or they are sometimes NOT the most fun. That being said however, we owe it to ourselves, our loved ones and everyone else to take responsibility for our actions for the good of the whole.