The Obesity Crisis!

America has an obesity crisis! Follow the link to do a Google search that will return tons of articles on the topic. But obesity is just the tip of the iceberg, the symptom of the much larger, much more dangerous crisis: the fitness crisis. America didn't get fat by doing regular strenuous exercise. It got there by living a sedentary lifestyle and neglecting to take care of its basic physical fitness needs. The problem isn't the fat. The problem is the lack of fitness. In fact, it is possible to be overweight and not have many of the medical problems often associated with being overweight. The reason is that the root cause of the illnesses is not primarily the weight. It is the lack of fitness. If you go to a local 10k or half marathon the chances are good that a lot of the mid pack runners are not skinny. But they are in good shape. Chances are very high that they have healthy blood pressure, healthy blood vessels, healthy cholesterol levels, good blood sugar levels, better than average mental health, and many other measures of health. Good cardiovascular fitness simply provides tremendous health benefits. Carrying a few extra pounds simply doesn't hurt much in an otherwise fit person. The problem isn't the fat. It's the fitness, or rather the lack of it.

So, while this country has a very visible obesity crisis, it is obtusely focused on a symptom instead of the root cause and this is preventing us from finding the cure which is right outside our front door. The root cause is that we are not fit. The solution is to walk out the front door and start getting fit. Does that sound simplistic? It's not. It's only simple. And it works.

This blog is going to focus on solutions to our country's number one health care crisis: the fitness crisis. If we can solve it we'll reduce not only obesity, but also the country's number one killer: cardiovascular disease.