According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the estimated annual medical cost of cardiovascular disease or stroke is $209.3 billion; cancer is $60.9 billion; diabetes is $92 billion; obesity is $61 billion. That’s a total of $423.2 billion! What’s more, many of these diseases can be prevented by simply exercising and eating correctly.
Why is it that more people aren’t out there exercising and making sure they put nutritious food into their bodies? Of course, there are the vested interests – companies with vast quantities of money creating attractive advertising pieces to invoke desire for their (in truth) undesirable products. The last time I went to the cinema I was bombarded with maybe five highly entertaining and beautifully produced ads for a famous cola beverage, a product that dissolves teeth overnight and would probably make a good engine cleaner. What really happens when a person drinks a sugar-loaded soda? Their blood sugar peaks and then drops rapidly making them feel tired and listless, hardly a state for anyone to want to get out and exercise. They’re more likely to pick up another soda to get some more “pep”.
Many people simply don’t know how to change their diet and exercise habits.
Poor diet and lack of exercise is a big problem in many western nations. It’s expensive for the citizens as it results in disease that must then be treated and time off work and school (reduced productivity). What to do about it?
Each person can simply start with themselves. Take a first step towards health whether it’s cutting out excess sugar or doing some exercise every day. At first the changes are very difficult but they do get easier and the better you feel, the easier it is to keep going.
The easiest and fastest way to change your lifestyle is to hire a professional to help you one-on-one. Choose a reputable and qualified personal trainer to get you exercising safely and efficiently (see our post, “How to Choose Your Trainer”). You could also join a group of like-minded people or even start a group of your own (searching Google in your area could help with this). With other people involved it’s more likely you’ll stick with the program even when it gets a bit hard.
It’s important that more people start changing the way they eat and exercise. Not only will their individual lives be more enjoyable but they’ll be part of the solution for reducing the massive cost of chronic disease in the USA (and no doubt other nations). Imagine what an extra $423.2 billion could do for everyone.
