A Warrior for Health

I’ve become a Warrior for Health!

Our world has become more complicated. Modern warfare and terrorism has taught us that foreign armies amassing at our borders will not be what invades our country and threatens our way of life. What If our country were threatened by an outside force, one that had the potential to bankrupt our economy, destroy our way of life and make our children so sick that children dying before their parents became commonplace. What if this threat was already within our borders, living amongst us? Would we surrender? Would we say we’re too tired to fight? Would we say we can’t change and deny the threat?

Our country’s health and the skyrocketing cost of healthcare is THE biggest threat to our economy, to our way of life and to the pursuit of happiness that is our birthright. Our country spends twice as much on healthcare as most other industrialized countries in the world. Our healthcare system, according to the World Health Organization in 2000, ranked 37th in the world (just after Costa Rica). Since we spend so much, shouldn’t we be healthier?

It is estimated that 70% of our illnesses are the result of our lifestyle and our habits. The Milken Institute estimates that chronic disease cost the US economy over one trillion dollars a year through healthcare costs and lost productivity, an amount that could rise to six trillion dollars a year by 2050.

According to the Center for Disease Control:
Chronic Diseases are the Leading Causes of Death and Disability in the U.S.
•7 out of 10 deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases. Heart disease, cancer and stroke account for more than 50% of all deaths each year.
•In 2005, 133 million Americans – almost 1 out of every 2 adults – had at least one chronic illness.
•Obesity has become a major health concern. 1 in every 3 adults is obese and almost 1 in 5 youth between the ages of 6 and 19 is obese (BMI ≥ 95th percentile of the CDC growth chart).
•About one-fourth of people with chronic conditions have one or more daily activity limitations.
•Arthritis is the most common cause of disability, with nearly 19 million Americans reporting activity limitations.
•Diabetes continues to be the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-extremity amputations, and blindness among adults, aged 20-74.7
The four most common causes of chronic disease are a lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption.

So fellow warriors, who is the enemy? Do we blame Phillip Morris, McDonalds, too much TV , the beer industry? As Pogo said, “we have met the enemy and he is us!”

Forget expecting the government to rescue us, forget expecting our teachers to do for our kids what we haven’t done for ourselves, forget denial and forget hoping to just get “lucky”! It’s time to take action and take responsibility for our health, our kid’s health and our country’s health.

Get off the couch and go sweat somewhere! Man up and stop eating all that stuff you know you shouldn’t be eating! Take a look at the habits that you know, and we all know, are killing us and quit!

Modern marketing has convinced us that we’re weak (“bet you can’t eat just one!”). We are strong, we are powerful! Vote with your feet, vote with your dinner plate, and vote for the future of our country by becoming a Warrior for Health!