Take Action - Reduce your health care costs

Just ran across some alarming facts:
In 1999, an estimated 61 percent of U.S. adults were overweight, along with 13 percent of children and adolescents. Only 3 percent of all Americans eat a healthy mix of grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meats. And less than one- third of Americans get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days a week. While 40 percent of adults engage in no leisure-time physical activity at all.

While the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased for both genders across all races and age groups, disparities exist. In women, obesity is more prevalent among members of racial and ethnic minority populations than in non-Hispanic white women. And for the men - Mexican Americans have a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than non-Hispanic men, while non-Hispanic white men have a greater prevalence than black men. Members of lower-income families generally experience a greater prevalence than those from higher-income families.

These trends already are associated with dramatic increases in asthma and Type 2 diabetes among children in the USA.

This last statistic is the most alarming - in that poor eating and exercise habits - or the entire lack thereof is impacting our children.

The growing waistline in Americans is already putting a strain on an over burdened health-care system. The shortage of Nurses and Doctors is only going to get worse according to some industry insiders. As baby-boomers get older - and fatter - they will need growing numbers of health-care services.

We can reverse this trend. We can take charge and improve our health. We can make healthy eating choices, exercise and lose weight! Health and fitness experts worldwide agree that the quickest way to lose weight is with plenty of exercise and eating healthy.

Take action today. Start eating healthy and getting in shape. Let's teach our children to enjoy a variety of healthy pursuits. Lets do our children and ourselves a big favor and cut our health care costs at the same time.