Sedentary Disease

The financial cost of obesity related disease is $150 billion annually in the US and is expected to double in less than 9 years.

Until the 1970's Americans had no struggles with expanding waistlines.  What has brought about this sudden change?  On average, Americans consume only 100 calories more per day than during the 1960's, according to the National Institutes of Health.  Alarmingly, American's burn 600 to 700 calories less per day than during the 1960's.  Do the math, that is 1 pound of weight gain per work week.

The reasons for this decreasing daily calorie burn should be obvious to everyone: 2 hour sitting work commutes, sedentary sitting computer related desk jobs, 500 cable channel televisions: America is literally sitting itself to death!

While the healthcare reform experts and special interests groups point fingers in all directions, true leadership is not recognizing the obesity problem, educating the nation or enacting reforms designed to solve this problem.  An emphasis on disease prevention versus treatment would be much more effective financially and clinically.  While there is no doubt that many of the healthcare reforms currently contemplated are necessary, an approach instituting "movement" and "nutrition" back into the lives of Americans would have a much greater impact, drastically cutting the costs of healthcare.

More than 58 diseases are directly related to obesity in this country, including the top three killers, heart disease, cancer and stroke.  Two out of every three American adults are overweight with 50% of this number clinically obese.

Innovative products have entered the market place, from the Trek Desk (http://www.trekdesk.com/), which is used in conjunction with a treadmill to Body Togs, (http://www.womenspersonalfitness.net/) wearable weighted sleeves worn on your arms and legs to increase calorie burn.  Use your bike (check out:  http://www.terratrike.com/ ) instead of your car whenever possible, or consider walking!  Don't forget to walk your dog, go to http://www.puplife.com/.