Hey, Mr. President,

Thanks so much for thinking big picture.  Thanks for tackling one of the toughest issues our society has faced.  I’ve heard the stories of what your Mom went through with her battle with cancer and I genuinely believe that you want health care for all so that others won’t have to struggle like your Mom did.

Here’s the thing: fitness addresses every problem that you face in passing this bill.  Are you ready?

Here’s one citizen’s plan …

1. Create a “re-education campaign” for doctors.  Teach them about diet, nutrition, exercise, anti-smoking strategies, body fat percentages, cardiovascular development, and resistance training techniques for joint improvement.  Require that MDs keep their licenses by completing various education modules in these disciplines.  How many times has a doctor said to a patient “You need to lose weight” without giving them any direction on how to do it?  Give the doctors the tools.
2. Create wellness modules that are taught in medical school.  Make it a requirement for graduation.  Provide funding to medical colleges to develop these programs.
3. Create a new profession.  Endorse and support a new discipline which is a cross between a high-level personal trainer and a physical therapist.  Call them Wellness Therapists.  These coaches would work in tandem with general medical practitioners to help “prescribe” wellness programs that focus on cardiovascular health, joint health, and weight control.  A doctor can write a prescription to see a Wellness Therapist to get people on the right track.  Provide funding for colleges and universities to develop these programs.  Require large hospitals and HMOs to have Wellness Therapists on staff.
4. Increase funding and grants to colleges and universities to educate more registered dieticians.  Place them on staff alongside the educated MDs and the Wellness Therapists.
5. Create a grant program at the state level to develop wellness campaigns that begin at kindergarten and carry students through high school.  Create teaching plans that cover health, fitness, nutrition, and weight control.  Give them knowledge at an early age so they can avoid the mistakes that lead to obesity.  Obesity rates are rising faster among children then adults.  This issue must be addressed immediately.
6. This one’s a biggie.  Stand up to the food industry and the farm subsidies to develop a truly nutritional school lunch program.  If we work with farmers to develop a more diverse crop, we will be able to feed our children options beyond reconstituted potato parts and sweetened corn.
7. Develop a national campaign to get people to move more.  It should be lots and lots of marketing on TV, social media, and print, but it should also include our fabulous national park system.  Embrace programs like rails to trails and allow families free or low-cost access to parks so they can learn the joys of the great outdoors.
8. Continue to set the great example that you’re already setting.  I hear people talk all the time about your washboard abs and Michelle’s great arms.  Keep it up.  Shame all those Senators and Representatives into working out with you.  Let them set examples for their states and their districts.

So many of our health problems are tied to the obesity epidemic in the U.S.  You don’t just have the opportunity to ensure that every American has health care.  You have the opportunity to uniquely improve every American’s quality of life.  How amazing is that?

I would love for this to be an open discussion.  Please share your comments …

Lisa

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