IHRSA Heartily Applauds First Lady’s Let’s Move Initiative and Vows Support

IHRSA on Friday, pledged its support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative and praised the First Lady for her leadership in tackling the problem of childhood obesity—a long-standing issue that threatens both the health of America’s children and the future of our country.

“On behalf of the entire health club industry, IHRSA heartily commends Mrs. Obama for standing up and leading America in a nationwide effort to solve the problem of childhood obesity,” said Joe Moore, IHRSA’s president and CEO. “As a devoted mother of two school-aged children, Mrs. Obama understands that the problem of childhood obesity isn’t about statistics. It’s about real children and real families in need of workable solutions. It’s about real parents struggling to protect the health of their children in a culture and environment that often work against them. Mrs. Obama’s pragmatic, compassionate, and hands-on approach to solving the problem will serve as an inspiring example on which all of us can model our efforts.”

The health and fitness industry believes strongly that regular exercise is a pivotal antidote to the obesity problem. For almost 30 years, the industry has been working to increase physical activity in America, while IHRSA has been speaking out and working tirelessly on the need to incorporate exercise into the health care continuum as part of preventive care.

In a letter to Mrs. Obama, Moore stated: “The health club industry is an important and effective resource for introducing young people to a lifetime of exercise, fitness, and healthy behaviors. We want to make sure that this far-reaching network of community-based fitness centers and professionals is at your disposal in the nation’s fight against childhood obesity and that it is not overlooked…

By educating our youth about exercise and nutrition, by showing them how much fun physical activity can be, by instilling healthy lifestyle habits at an early age, and by maximizing the innovative programming, technologies, and available research within the fitness industry—health clubs can make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of children.”

Health clubs play a vital role in keeping Americans of all ages healthy. With more than 30,000 across the country, they can be found in all 50 states, serving cities and towns in both rural and urban areas. Health clubs of all sizes and business models—including thousands of small and medium sized enterprises—are integral to community life. Together, they provide a gateway to healthy living for millions of Americans of all ages and backgrounds.

Historically, health clubs have been successfully engaging children in regular physical activity by drawing upon state-of-the art technologies and behavior research to implement innovative programs within local communities. Today, more than 22 percent of commercial health clubs offer children-specific programming. Almost 20 percent offer a kids-only section of the club. And together, health clubs serve more than 4.8 million members under the age of 18—including 1.13 million between 6 and 12 years old, and 3.11 million between 13 and 17.

What’s more, 33 percent of fitness professionals now teach kids’ classes, and 55 percent offer one-on-one personal training to youth aged 18 or younger. And the number of children using health clubs has increased by 108 percent since 1990. The number of first time health club members under the age of 18 has doubled in ten years.

Each year at IHRSA’s annual convention, health club owners and leaders in the health and fitness industry have the opportunity to see the latest in innovative technologies and exercise equipment designed specifically for youth—and to share ideas on how to best support the efforts of families and children who want to exercise regularly and live healthier lives. This year’s convention will take place in San Diego from March 10 through 13.

“Mrs. Obama has a tremendous and tremendously important task before her,” said Moore. “And she will need cooperation and help from all industries and from both the private and public sectors.”

According to research commissioned by IHRSA, 99 percent of Americans believe that exercise helps preserve good health, but most feel they have to battle current culture to exercise regularly and that the government should do more to promote physical activity. Americans agree at a high rate (79%) that “The current culture in America, including the pressures of work, family and financial demands, makes it hard for people to exercise regularly and maintain healthy lifestyles.” More than three-fifths of Americans (61%) believe the government should do more to promote physical activity.

At the time these survey findings were released in 2007, Moore commented: “[Americans] are losing the struggle to balance the demands of work and family with personal health and need greater support. Americans need access to the tools necessary to live healthier lifestyles.”

“We are extremely grateful that Mrs. Obama has taken on the issue of childhood obesity,” Moore said today. “We want to see her succeed in this initiative and in leading the way to create a national environment that supports health. We encourage all Americans to stand behind Mrs. Obama in her efforts to stop the tide of childhood obesity and to do what they can to help ensure healthy futures for our children and for our country.”

Where has all the prevention gone?

This time last year, supporters of healthy lifestyles were buoyed by the stump speeches of of then candidate Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. They spoke of prevention, exercise and healthy eating habits. They didn't agree on much, but they did both speak of the power of healthy lifestyles in reducing health care costs.

Fast forward one year. Despite all the rhetoric from Democrats, Republics, Members of Congress, the Administration and all the cable news pundits, real prevention appears to be the forgotten solution. Now that all the major bills have been introduced, it's clear that the oratorical support for healthy diets and regular exercise have not yet translated into policy initiatives.

This is important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, if the causes of chronic diseases, which account for 75% of health care spending are not adequately addressed, no amount of reforms on paper will bring real costs savings. To put it in medical terms, we're treating the symptoms, not the disease. And at the rate our society is going (and growing), today's kids will be the first generation to have a shorter life-span than their parents. How will this play out if that generation is still struggling to reign in health care costs because no one stepped up to the plate and told Americans it's time to start making some hard decisions.

Our CEO, Joe Moore, often writes about the creation of a culture of wellness. I love this. Not because I work for the health club industry, but because I am someone that tries to do what I can in my daily life to make healthy choices. Once you start to educate yourself about wellness and prevention the truth of what our daily habits are doing to us is shocking. Maybe this was what it was like back in the day when people didn't understand the full extent of the health implications of smoking cigarettes.

A poll out today says that 79% of Americans support health care reform. So how can the people that support healthy lifestyles take this support and get people to support healthy lifestyles? THe first thing everyone can do is speak out to Congress and President Obama. We need to share our stories about how healthy habits translate into less chronic disease, lower health care costs, and more productive and happy employees.

If everyone tells their story, we can start a movement. Look at what the anti-smoking movement did. Maybe this can be the wellness movement. Join the movement for a healthier America and share your story today. http://ihrsa.org/campaign.

- Breanne McGahey

Health Care Reform, Prevention, Cost-Savings

President Barack Obama will address the nation tonight in a prime time news conference on health care reform. This is the latest event in what has been a full court press by the White House in recent days to try to build awareness and momentum around the debate. At a White House Rose Garden event on Tuesday, Obama said, “We've agreed that our health reform bill will emphasize prevention and wellness by investing in programs that help Americans live healthier lives. We will save money, prevent illness, and increase the competitiveness of our country. “

IHRSA and its partners continue to encourage legislators to use prevention to contain skyrocketing costs. In a statement released Monday, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) urged Congress to focus on the number one driver of health care costs- chronic disease. "We must focus on disease prevention and wellness in order to reduce unnecessary - and often preventable - costs and create a sustainable health care system," said Ken Thorpe, Ph.D., PFCD Executive Director. "We hope that as other Senate and House committees continue through mark ups, they will make certain that their bills contain adequate measures to address the economic burden of chronic disease and control costs in order to insure the passage of comprehensive, sustainable health care reform legislation in 2009."

While members of Congress and the Obama administration discuss health care reform, the President continues to call on Congress to move bills out of committee and to vote before the scheduled August recess. Though some in Washington are beginning to call the deadline impossible, committees are working very quickly to mark up the bills as soon as possible making this a crucial time for IHRSA’s Personal Health Investment Today Act and Workplace Health Improvement Program Act.

“Our DC team has been actively engaging with key legislators in both the House and the Senate on including the WHIP and PHIT Acts in health care reform,” said Helen Durkin, executive vice president IHRSA public policy. “But we do not have a million dollars a day to spend like the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies. Our strength is the number of fitness professionals across America that are passionate about creating a culture of wellness in our nation.”

Fitness professionals can do their part by writing an email to Congress asking for their support of exercise as part of prevention in health care reform. All of the details are provided online at http://ihrsa.org/campaign. Clubs will be speaking out for legislation that not only encourages Americans to lead healthy lives but also provides them tax incentives to do so while promoting health clubs and growing the number of Americans with gym memberships.

- Breanne McGahey

Obama Nominates Surgeon General

Earlier today in a White House Rose Garden ceremony, President Barack Obama nominated Dr. Regina Benjamin to serve as the next Surgeon General of the United States. By all accounts, she is a qualified doctor who is exceptionally dedicated to her patients in Bayou La Batre, Ala. (yes, Forest Gump fans the same shrimping community Bubba was from). But what position will Dr. Benjamin take on exercise, prevention and wellness?

As the fitness industry, we hope that the Surgeon General will make use of the high profile of her office to shed light on the impact that a healthy lifestyle can have on the health of all Americans. Bush's Surgeon General, Dr. Richard Carmona was a proponent of healthy lifestyles, he even spoke at an IHRSA Convention a few years back. Acting Surgeon General Dr. Steven Galson, has also promoted exercise and been a friend to the issue, especially during the release of the Physical Activity Guidelines.

According to Obama's statement today, "[Dr. Benjamin]'s been a relentless promoter of prevention and wellness programs, having treated too many costly and -- diseases and complications that didn't have to happen." This is great, but given her focus on rural health care one has to wonder how will so many important areas of health care be handled by a small staff with a limited budget. Coming from Alabama, Dr. Benjamin must be keenly familiar with the impact of a sedentary lifestyle. The Trust for America's Health reported earlier this month that Alabama has the second highest adult obesity rate in the nation at over 31% of the adult population. That is a shocking statistic.

I am curious to learn if Dr. Benjamin led efforts in her community to increase physical activity and improve eating habits. If so, she could very well become a powerful role model for the changes that need to occur in our communities that are hardest hit by the obesity epidemic. Only time will tell.

Dr. Benjamin said during her statement that she wants to become America's family physician. I hope that she and all family physicians across America start to better advise their patients on the importance of regular exercise and healthy diets.

- Breanne McGahey

Twists and Turns Create Urgency and Road Blocks for Health Care Reform

The health care reform debate is fast becoming a thrilling political drama with non-stop action. As Democrats in Congress and the White House push for passage of reform legislation by the end of the year, some by August, the breakneck pace is hitting some significant roadblocks.

As reported in last week’s issue of Capitol Report, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the initial bill proposed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s (D-MA) Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee would cost over $1 trillion, and leave more than 37 million Americans uninsured after ten years. Since that report, the Senate Committee on Finance has delayed the release of its bipartisan bill in an effort to trim the costs of the plan before it is made public. The White House has been working very closely with Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) and the Finance Committee, as many observers believe that it is the best chance to produce bi-partisan support.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and White House health reform director Nancy-Ann DeParle meet on Tuesday with Democratic Senators, from both committees to discuss the issue. Later today, President Obama will host a town hall meeting on health care at the White House after holding a meeting with five governors that hosted regional health care forums.

Meanwhile, the House held numerous hearings on health care reform this week. Introduced last Friday, the House legislation is the work of three House Committees. The bill lacks funding sources and has not yet been reviewed by the CBO.

- Breanne McGahey

Obama Urges Congress to Pass Health Care Reform by August

Makes Economic Case for Reform, Includes Prevention
President Barack Obama has asked Congress to pass health care reform legislation before their August recess and called this a “make or break period.” The move comes as health care reform is increasingly a key issue for the White House. Yesterday, a major report was released and Obama met with Senate Democrats on key Committees to discuss reform.

The report, released early in the day, presented the economic case for health care reform from the White House Council of Economic Advisers. It covers the current economic impact of health care on the nation’s economy and a forecast of what could happen without reform. It then discusses key components of reform that would have major economic impacts, including slowing health care cost growth and expanding coverage.

The role of healthier lifestyles was noted as a key element of successful health care reform. “It will also be important to encourage individuals through education and incentives to make healthier lifestyle choices, such as exercising and healthy eating,” the report stated. “This is important because healthier lifestyle choices have positive, direct benefits on lowering costs.”

Yesterday afternoon, President Obama met with about two-dozen Democrats on the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Both Committees are working to create their own health care reform bills. Obama’s message to them coincided with the report from earlier in the day, that it is a major imperative for the White House that long-term costs are driven down. In addition, the group discussed how to fund immediate changes to the nation’s health care system. According to reports, there was talk about the taxation of health benefits, which Senator Max Baucus of Montana claims will raise $250 billion annually. A White House statement said that Obama prefers funding methods outlined in earlier reports that do not include such taxes.

Underscoring the days events was the sense of urgency being conveyed by Obama. "We can't afford to put this off," Obama said at the start of a meeting the Senate Democrats. "This window between now and the [Senate's] August recess I think is going to be the make-or-break period. This is the time where we've got to get this running."

Campaign for a Healthier America Advocate Spotlight

Last week in San Francisco at the IHRSA Convention and Trade Show, attendees participated in the Virtual March on Washington, a national grassroots project of the IHRSA Campaign for a Healthier America. There were dozens of advocates that recorded videos for Congress and President Obama. Over the coming weeks, we’re going to spotlight our favorites here on the Movement for a Healthier America blog.

Take a few minutes and watch Tanya Barham, CEO of Recess Wellness in Portland, Oregon.

Obama's health principles, translated

Over the last two years there has been a very clear growth in the attention paid to prevention and wellness as part of health care reform. Now that the Obama Administration and Congress have set their sights on the passage of a bill in 2009, it seems that every day there is another news article or video clip of someone who will play a role in this important reform making a clear pitch for prevention and wellness.

Here is a great story on Politico. Obama's health principles, translated. In the budget that the Adminsitration sent to Congress last month, they outlined 8 principles for health care reform. Politico translates the carefully crafted policy statements into something a little more, umm... "straightforward."

Check out #6:
"6. Invest in prevention and wellness. The plan must invest in public health measures proven to reduce cost drivers in our system — such as obesity, sedentary lifestyles and smoking — as well as guarantee access to proven preventive treatments.

Translation: Get in shape — and get used to hearing a lot more about “individual responsibility.” Quit smoking. Exercise. Eat better. And, to encourage a healthier diet, perhaps a fast food tax? Well, maybe not. Americans value their personal choice and wallets too much. Look for Democrats and Republicans to talk a lot about preventing chronic diseases."

Sounds like they are making a perfect case for the WHIP and PHIT Acts.

-Bre McGahey

Power of the Press

Media members can and do play a significant role in influencing public opinion. They have the unique position of reaching into the homes of millions of people daily, informing and updating mass audiences with news that can become the basis for decision-making and action taken. Perhaps the most important role media can play is as an educator and advocate for positive causes. Recently, the editor-in-chief of Men's Fitness Magazine wrote a "Dear Obama" letter that does just this.

As someone who interacts with media members on a daily basis, I can assure you that they are indeed willing to be advocates. If your club launches new programming, get in touch with your local media. Let them know if you are promoting HHS's Physical Activity Guidelines. Educate them on the WHIP and PHIT Acts - they will listen.

-Rosemary Lavery

The West Wing

I've had several opportunities to attend meetings at the Hubert H. Humphrey building in Washington, DC, which is the home of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is a fine, stately building, heavy on bureaucratic chic, and a worthy anchor of our nation's health care system. However, for better or worse, it is also about a mile and a half from the White House. While distance may be, generally, inconsequential in the era of teleconferencing and blackberries, there is still no substitute, in my mind, for physical proximity to power.

I am therefore placing much significance on the fact that President Obama's designated "Health Czar" and nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle, has secured an office in the West Wing of the White House, eliminating the 1.5 miles he otherwise would have needed to trek to come before the most powerful person in the world. To me, this is a clear signal that President Obama is serious about health care reform, sooner rather than later. The time for advocacy and action is now. Anyone interested in eliminating the tax on employee fitness benefits or reducing the cost of physical activity is encouraged to contact IHRSA immediately.

- Tom Richards

A Government That Works

"The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works." - President Obama, Inaugural Address

Of all the rhetoric packed into today's 20 minute inaugural address, I found the passage above the most revealing, and hope that our public health community agrees. If truly acted upon, such an approach will result in a search for new solutions, first and foremost, with less regard for custom. For an industry like ours, with so much to offer, but without a long history of direct engagement with public health officials, a new approach to our nation's health problems is a wonderful opportunity.

As noted in the latest issue of Men's Fitness, our leaders could take a big, new step toward solving our nation's health problems - obesity, in particular - by passing the IHRSA-supported WHIP and PHIT bills.

- Tom Richards

The Ones We Have Been Waiting For

President-elect Obama famously stated "We are the ones we have been waiting for" during his triumphant primary campaign. He used the line as a rallying cry for his supporters, urging them to get involved with his campaign, rather than wait for someone else to affect the change he and his supporters were seeking. I think most people, regardless of political stripe, would agree that this was an effective message.

This article on the importance of primary prevention, written by a personal trainer in Fort Collins, CO, gives me hope for a rousing chorus of voices coming from the fitness industry as our nation's policymakers debate the shape and form of our next health care system. I know firsthand, from my experiences at IHRSA's Legislative Summit, that fitness professionals can be astonishingly effective advocates, simply by explaining their passion for fitness. IHRSA's public policy team stands waiting to assist any fitness professionals that wish to get involved and, if i may bring the post full-circle, "be the ones we have been waiting for."

I want to also give credit to article's author, Mr. Mark Gomez, for distinguishing primary prevention - such as physical activity and nutrition counseling - from secondary prevention, which includes things like regular screenings. These two types of prevention are typically lumped together in media articles, especially to argue that "prevention" doesn't save money. Of course, primary prevention certainly saves money (e.g. increased physical activity to reduce the risk of diabetes), which is why the government should encourage it, while secondary prevention saves lives, which is also a more than reasonable government interest.

- Tom Richards

Sanjay Gupta as the new Surgeon General?

As reported in today's issue of Capitol Report, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a practicing neurosurgeon and chief medical correspondent for CNN, is rumored to be the Obama Administration's top choice for Surgeon General. His appointment could be good for the fitness industry. He's a supporter of healthy lifestyles and helped to bring the issue to millions of American's through the 2008 Fit Nation series. Having someone in public health who is a proponent of exercise in a prominent public office is almost always a good thing.

Since the news broke yesterday, blogs across the web have been taking up the idea of a CNN correspondent in such a high profile government position. The New York Times Well Blog had a great round-up of some of the commentary. My favorite of the bunch: “Public health needs a rock star.” It comes from the Technology, Health & Development blog. The author makes a great point that "rock stars" such as Bono, Bill Gates and Bill Clinton have helped to shed light on the global health crisis. Maybe Dr. Gupta could do the same for public health issues here in the US while building bridges between government policy, global initiatives, and the average American.

In terms of connecting with the average American, I don't think you could do much better. He's known by the millions of people who watch CNN and CBS. To put it in simple terms, he's got street cred. Given all of the years, effort and funds that have been channeled towards public health maybe we need someone like Dr. Gupta to really help move people towards making the hard changes neccessary to break the bad (but oh so easy to pick up) habits that hinder so many from leading a healthy lifestyle. On that same level, I think having the American public witness President-Elect Obama's regular gym visits will also raise the profile of exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle.

There are clearly many changes on the horizon in Washington. Maybe a new public health rock star will be one of them.

- Breanne McGahey