This week’s post is in direct contrast to last week’s, which had a happy spin to it. Unfortunately, the news coming out of this week’s Weight of the Nation conference (sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in Washington was not encouraging, and there’s no way to sugarcoat the facts.

According to the new CDC data released at the conference, people who are obese spend almost $1,500 more each year on health care — about 41 percent more than an average-weight person. Beyond those costs are the disability and early deaths caused by obesity, CDC director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden said during a press conference held Monday. “Obesity, and with it diabetes, are the only major health problems that are getting worse in this country, and they are getting worse rapidly,” Frieden said. “The average American is now 23 pounds overweight.”

Overall obesity-related health spending has reached $147 billion, double what it was nearly a decade ago. To put that figure in perspective, the American Cancer Society estimates that all cancers combined cost our health care system $93 billion a year. Obesity-related conditions now account for 9.1% of all medical spending, up from 6.5% in 1998.

Health economists have long warned that obesity is a driving force behind the rise in health spending. For example, diabetes costs the nation $190 billion a year to treat, and excess weight is the single biggest risk factor for developing diabetes. Moreover, obese diabetics are the hardest to treat, with higher rates of foot ulcers and amputations, among other things.

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation said in a statement: “Obesity is the driver of so many chronic conditions — heart disease, diabetes, cancer — that generate the exorbitant costs that are crushing our health-care system.”

The upshot of the conference was that stemming the obesity epidemic is going to take a societal effort. Among the strategies the CDC is promoting are making healthy food more available, encouraging more choices of healthy foods, encouraging breast-feeding, encouraging physical activity and creating sites in communities that support physical activity.

HHS head Kathleen Sebelius agrees. “Everyone — from parents to schools to local governments to food and beverage companies — has a role to play in promoting prevention and wellness.”

I believe Fitness Together plays a key part in the effort to battle the obesity and diabetes epidemics. I firmly believe that exercise and good nutrition are the magic pills that will solve many health related problems, and improve the quality of life for everyone.

It’s time for everyone to take a long, hard look at themselves and realize that if they continue to do the things they have always done, nothing will change. If you, or someone you know, is battling with weight issues, or any of its side effects, such as diabetes, and you are not sure what you can do to get things back under control and feeling great, give us a call at 610-355-0935. I take my role in the battle against obesity seriously, and want to help, one person at a time. I look forward to hearing from you.

To your health and happiness.

I thought today would be a good day to send out this newsletter to brighten up your day, because for some of you, today could be considered the worst day of the year.

According to a brief story in the Wall Street Journal, today is just pure misery for the diehard sports fan. With no baseball, basketball, football, or hockey games on the schedule (nor any significant events in other major sports, like golf and tennis), Wednesday, July 15, 2009 may be the worst day in the whole year, or at least tied with two other days (July 13, 2009 and October 8, 2008). Thankfully, there are some great sports days to balance out such such misery, such as Feb. 1, Jan. 3, and Jan. 10 (You’ll have to click the link to see what’s so great about those days!)

So as to not add to your misery by talking about the importance of exercise and proper nutrition, I’ll keep this newsletter brief and cheery. And what better way to keep it that way than by talking about cats and dogs.

The New York Times had an article about dogs who sniff out cancer and health problems associated with diabetes. The story is based on a video from the National Geographic web site which featured a collie named Tinker. Tinker began whining and barking when his owner, who has diabetes, experienced dangerous drops in blood sugar. Further training enabled Tinker to become a qualified “hypo alert” dog. The story also mentions a survey of 212 dog owners, all of whom had Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder that prevents the body from producing insulin. A regular concern with Type 1 is that blood sugar will drop precipitously low, causing a person to fall unconscious. Among the dog owners, 138, or 65 percent, said their dog had shown a behavioral reaction to at least one of their hypoglycemic episodes!

You gotta love dogs!!

I want to give equal billing to cats, and so while searching the web, I came across an interesting story titled “Are Cats Purring Us into Submission?” Animal vocalization experts have identified a new purr that cats have created and it’s known as the “socialization purr.” The newly recognized type of purr includes an embedded, high-pitch cry, similar to the plaintive yowling you hear when they really want something. “Cats have about the right size of vocal folds to produce a cry that is similar to a baby’s, so there is a coincidental element,” explained Karen McComb, one of the researchers. “In fact, the meow can sound remarkably like a crying child, which will be particularly effective with humans.” McComb said she thinks this cry occurs at a low level in cats’ normal purring, “but we think that cats learn to dramatically exaggerate it when it proves effective in generating a response from humans.” Such research brings to the forefront the question – “Who’s really in charge around your house – you or your cat?”

So if today really is one of the low points of the year for you, hopefully you have a cat or dog to share your misery with. If not, there’s always exercise and a green smoothie!

To your health and happiness.

I hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend and had the chance to spend some time with family and friends. My wife and I, along with our youngest son, spent the past few days visiting our oldest son down in Durham, NC. Our son was the perfect host, having planned multiple activities for us, from hikes in the Duke Forest, to First Friday Night in Raleigh, to the State Fairgrounds on the 4th of July. We even managed to squeeze in some miniature golf, a visit to the Durham Bulls ballpark,  and to watch Johnny Depp’s latest movie, Public Enemies. Even the 8 hour drive home today was nothing compared to the great time we had.

The only downside to the trip was that I went a couple of days without a green smoothie, a staple of my diet. Fortunately, I was able to find relatively healthy alternatives so I don’t feel like I completely fell off the wagon. I think having a long-term commitment to a healthy lifestyle makes it easier to stick to my dietary goals, even when there are obstacles along the way.

The importance of attitude when it comes to dieting was the subject of a recent New York Times article. The story mentions a study published in the Feb. 26 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine that compared four popular diets and found they all produced similar results. After two years, the dieters in each group lost an average of nine pounds. Notably, the dieters who attended more counseling sessions lost a little bit more, which may support the notion that behavior is more important than diet alone.

The truth is that success depends not so much on what diet plan you choose or what program you join. “What matters most is your level of motivation and your willingness to change,” says Kelly D. Brownell, a psychologist and director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.

Motivation, though, is not always easy to come by – especially when it involves changing habits. Some people may need a little help to kick-start a weight-loss regimen, whether that means following a popular diet or enrolling in an organized program. Your goal, though, should not be short term.

“Keeping weight off permanently is a lifelong process,” says James O. Hill, a psychologist and a founder of the National Weight Control Registry (www.nwcr.ws), a database of 6,000 people who have lost weight and kept it off.

If you become one of the lucky losers, you’ll need to fight hard to protect your losses. One way is to exercise – a lot. “Diet is a key for losing weight,” Mr. Hill said. “But physical activity is the key for keeping it off.”

To maintain their weight, members of the National Weight Control Registry ideally exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day. Another key is to enlist the support of family and friends. If your buddies are mocking you for eating a salad while they’re inhaling beer and pizza, Mr. Hill said, it’s going to be tough to succeed.

At Fitness Together, we recognize the hard work that is required to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Our focus is not just on exercise, but on providing you with sound nutritional guidance and the support and motivation you need to stay committed to such a change. To find out if our program is right for you, give us a call at (610) 355-0935. We would welcome the opportunity to be your partner in your commitment to a healthier you.

To your health and happiness!