Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s campaign to stomp out high-calorie foods and beverages has now moved to New York City Hospitals. Why not? There are a lot of sick people in hospitals suffering from chronic and acute conditions directly related to high-risk foods and beverages. No, I’m not talking about the patients, but about the hospital nursing staff and medical officials.
In fact, you can go to almost any health education or dietary professional conference and find about the same percentage of obese individuals that you can observe at your local grocery store, church service or where you’re employed.
How can that be when surely these professionals understand the multiple risks for being over-fat (not over-weight) or obese? Sure they understand. But what is not well understood is that information, label warnings and anti-obesity legislative action will do next to nothing to influence today’s obesity rates. Why? Because excessive caloric consumption is not the primary cause of the sudden and dramatic increase in obesity levels among all advanced industrial populations.
So what is responsible?
- Physical inactivity is now engineered into all aspects of modern living,
- The habitual and deliberate avoidance of basic daily exercise, especially strength and cardiovascular training,
- The failure of parents and school officials (especially boards of education) to emphasize a cardinal principle of modern education: daily quality physical education.
- The failure of sickness-care professionals in general—and nutritional authorities in particular–to fully understand the role of compulsive/obsessive eating disorders among the chronically over-fat and clinically obese population.
Tinkering with legislation and regulations to reduce access to high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and beverages distract attention from real solutions. And when these silly notions fail, people shrug their shoulders and ask, “What’s the use?"
If Mayor Bloomberg is really serious about fat prevention legislation, I suggest he sit down with his board of education, PTA leaders and state education officials to re-introduce daily quality health and physical education in city schools. And follow up with careful monitoring levels of energy expenditure, aerobic points and core training for optimal healthy living in a high-risk culture. Furthermore, post each school’s scores in on a quarterly basis in the newspapers much as athletic team scores are posted each week. Host an annual banquet for the top 20 schools with TV and radio interviews of the most improved kids and teachers.
Now there’s something to add to your “health” campaign Mr. Mayor. Need some help? Give Da Coach a call.