Udall: Investing in Americans' health
Read the op-ed I authored in the Denver Post addressing the growing problem of obesity and its impacts on our health, health care spending and quality of military recruits.
The Denver Post: Udall: Investing in Americans' health
POSTED: 10/07/2012 12:01:00 AM MDT
By Mark UdallColorado is home to some of the fittest Americans in the country, but like most of our nation, we are facing a growing problem: ourselves.
According to a recent study from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, one-fifth of Coloradans are obese. And the study projects that nearly 45 percent of Coloradans will be obese by 2030. If the projected trend continues, more and more Americans will live with chronic diseases related to obesity, including heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. Moreover, medical costs associated with treating those preventable diseases would be estimated to increase by $48 billion to $66 billion per year in the United States.
At a time when we must rein in the excess spending associated with our nation's health care system, we cannot ignore the fact that rising increasing obesity rates will only make the current situation even worse. And, as a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, I have heard directly from senior military leaders that obesity has become a serious issue for our national security as well.
"Mission: Readiness," a nonpartisan organization of senior retired military leaders calling for smart investments in America's children, released a report in September showing nearly one in four applicants to the military is rejected for being overweight. For the recruits who make the cut, special fitness programs are now in place to get young recruits into shape before they are allowed to start basic training. And our military ends up spending over $1 billion each year to treat obesity-related injuries and diseases for troops and military dependents.
In 2010, I encouraged First Lady Michelle Obama to work with the Department of Defense as part of her "Let's Move!" campaign and assist with their efforts to improve the health of our military recruits.
The First Lady and our partners are making good progress, and this year, in an effort to amplify this push, I introduced the Healthy Kids from Day One Act. My legislation encourages child-care centers to develop programs aimed at getting children from birth to age 5 to become more physically active, eat healthier, and spend less time at sedentary activities like watching television or playing video games. Creating healthy habits from day one is the most effective way to reverse our present course and prevent future generations of Americans from suffering from other health problems, including those linked to mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression and low self-esteem.
Also, in 2011, I helped launch the "National Kids to Parks" campaign in partnership with the First Lady and the U.S. Department of the Interior to get kids excited about being active and healthy outdoors, and I introduced the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act to better connect kids with outdoor experiences. Passing on a love for the outdoors and teaching future generations about the importance of enjoying nature and staying active will promote healthy lifestyles while also connecting more Americans with our outdoor heritage. That's the Colorado way.
We have set ourselves on the path to reverse these troubling trends, but we still have a way to go. Let's keep up the momentum and continue collaborative efforts across the board to develop and implement innovative initiatives that increase education, nutrition and health-conscious habits among all Americans.
If we don't invest in our health now, we will pay dearly for it — sooner rather than later.
Democrat Mark Udall is the senior senator for Colorado.