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Asking any professional to make a prediction for what the future holds can often be career suicide.
Most professionals will tell you the future is what we make of it and only through persistent hard work will the changes we desire come to fruition. Nowhere else is this more true than the health care arena and the ever growing weight that obesity is costing us in this country.
Obesity in this country is a multifactorial epidemic plaguing all steps of the socioeconomic ladder. With multiple interests from all walks of business aiming for a slice of the fiscal pie that comes with any health care crisis, the solution for this heavy weight issue represents two sides of a very diverse coin.
In one corner of the fight, we see food companies working to deliver products that consumers want at reasonable prices while stratifying the needs of their boards and investors. We also see millions of jobs from this sector of the food industry. From the farmers to the truck drivers to the advertisers marketing the products all the way to our plates, it is indisputable that food is big business.
On the opposite side of the bread, we have the consumers who are looking for taste, value and nutrition and even as obesity continues to pressure our belt lines and our wallets, we have scientists, educators, doctors, gyms and supplement companies working to curb the crisis as well as survive and flourish as business. They are there working tirelessly to help Americans battle this epidemic, but also account for their bottom line.
So, the take home message of this epidemic is that while obesity costs us billions, it also is a driving force in our economy and we have to be mindful of this as we apply therapies to help out fight.
"We cannot continue this trend ... and expect to help the rest of the world if we do not stop to help ourselves."
What is most interesting about our war on obesity and where I would like to make a prediction for the future lies in the multifaceted approach to solving this issue. Looking back, we have seen diet trends come and go, medications come and go and surgeries mastered and still our best weapon remains education on what people put on their plates. If they can understand the connection between what they choose to eat and how the health of their bodies respond to that food, we stand a better chance of helping this country to tip the scales in the right direction. However, we all know getting people to eat vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and smart fruits can be difficult in a society where we pride ourselves on the right to pick what we want and how we want it.
If we want to win this war and stop the crushing weight of our health care debt related to obesity, we have to address two major contributors – the mental health issues that play a critical role involving weight and the refined carbohydrates in our diets. If we cannot get the health professions on board with the mental health issues surrounding weight and we cannot get food manufacturers and marketers to realize that they have an obligation to produce foods with lower glycemic loads, we are not going to win this war.
Mental health and refined carbohydrates alone will continue to cost this country poll positions in the world arena in all facets. We cannot continue this trend of sick people and expect to help the rest of the world if we do not stop to help ourselves. It is my firm belief that if an individual wants to do more for themselves, they have to address the simple sugars in their diets and the stresses in their lives afflicting their physical, mental and spiritual health. Only then will we continue to thrive as individuals and as a nation.
