Going With The Flow

I like those ideas. The company I'm about to work for does the insurance discounts for workouts thing, very cool. It makes sense, healthy people cost less!

Don't tax my Coke though!!

This article made for interesting reading while eating my lunch of beer and cookie. But seriously Pollan said it best, just eat FOOD mostly plants! It is not that hard!!! I think if you eat whole foods 80% of the time and eat whatever else you want (only got the cookie because that was the only way they would give me a beer) the rest of the time you should be FINE!!! We think too much about this!

The problem is that I don't want to pay for people that are too lazy to exercise or eat healthy!

Our Workers Comp and health insurance premiums are significantly lowered when we have a certain percentage of employees participate in 'health management programs.' So, we offer our employees free gym memberships/ reimbursement for fitness related activities. Along with the fitness benefit, for the employees that actively use the memberships we pay a larger portion of their insurance premiums... last month we had 2 of 120+ employees take advantage of it. Sad.

I don't think adding to the list of government programs or taxes will ever be effective. It has to be a total mindset change.

My comment was more in regards to all the fad diets out there. They are just annoying and don't work obviously.

A "fat tax" is never going to happen especially considering our government subsidizes the corn to make those goods cheap in the first place!

We just need a total paradigm shift, but I don't have any idea how that can happen! Perhaps more affordable color runs?!?

agreed, christie and amiee.

here's an interesting approach to encourage more consumption of fresh fruit/veggies: http://goo.gl/0R9r7X certainly not the solution, but a "nudge" in the right direction.

also, i literally slapped my forehead when i saw this plastered on the front of carl's jr: http://goo.gl/fbX6Ju

with SO MANY ridiculous products like this around, it's no wonder our nation has weight/health problems.

ALSO, +1 for evening leisure granny walks.

Ha Allie! You'll love this column then: http://n.pr/15nMq8Q

But I really, really don't want to have to look at my face while I am grocery shopping so I hope those carts don't come to Smith's.

I recently downloaded a track my veggies app with the intention of helping me eat more veggies, which reminds me of something a certain friend of mine said, "Why are the only people concerned with eating healthier the people that are already eating healthy?" Interesting thought.

Great timing on this post. First, read this :-)

http://goo.gl/ROrdlc

“These are regular people who, all day long, are bombarded with unrelenting messages touting the desirability of being athletic or even moderately healthy, and their response is to loudly proclaim, ‘No, that’s not who I am,’” Trumbull added. “That’s the definition of courage.”

...Indeed, the report found that, rather than give in to the constant emphasis on a lean, shapely physique, the brave segment of the U.S. population consistently and valiantly avoided nutritious foods, reasonable portion sizes, and any exercise whatsoever.

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I'll just make a comment on #4. Bring back real PE in schools. The stuff that scared kids - climbing the rope, running a timed mile, etc. There's too much coddling and worrying about whether something is going to be embarrassing. Make PE a mandatory part of the daily routine. Our athletic programs across the board (at upper levels) will improve as well, as kids will be learning foundational movement patterns and develop some general athleticism (there I go sounding like Vern Gambetta!) instead of getting fat and lazy.

Regarding the other stuff - Eat healthy for the most part, but don't be a nazi about it, and be as active as you can. Its such common sense! Ahhhh.

pair with kool-aid bursts and simple syrup...lol lol.

i agree that the mirrors on the carts are dumb, and i would really, really hate that as well. i do like the dividing line idea though, and the giant arrows pointing people to the produce section. just small things making a small difference, but it has to start somewhere. when you can get a pop tart sandwich handed to you without ever leaving your car for the same price as a bag of apples...yeah, problems.

There will never be real PE in American schools so long as teachers and schools are judged solely on the basis of standardized tests that focus exclusively on reading, writing, and math. Teachers face tremendous pressure in these three areas.

PE isn't on the test.

I think the problem is much more complex (I know it is), but I have to say, I do have a lot of trouble living where I do and often count the number of obese people on the bus (it usually is 90% or higher).

I brought up the calorie justification (item 1) argument and I got a talking to about fat shaming, which I at once find problematic and hard to avoid. Like yesterday. A very large woman said to a young boy about a young girl getting off the bus, "She's a big girl, ain't she?" Woah. It was very hard to shut my mouth.

I do like the idea that allie points out about nudging (there's an intriguing book called *Nudge* that deals with persuasive design and architecture). Wait...aren't you an engineer, Andrea? You could design entire treadmill cities :)

All this being said, I started running because I was 25 and overweight (about 190 lbs total not 190 overweight). No one in my family does any sort of exercise, so I didn't learn any good eating or exercising habits from them, but there is something to be said about my education level too. That being said, I have an English department sample that suggests that isn't always the case either.

Ugh. I think I'll have a beer and a cookie. Or maybe just a beer; I don't keep cookies in the house because, well, I can't KEEP cookies in the house.

Interesting. Seems like the obesity challenge is insurmountable at this point. We are a country of people short on patience and with plenty of distractions. So many are looking for the "quick fix" and some docs and big pharma are all too willing to provide. Just look at all the anti-d's this country consumes! Most of those can cause weight gain.

I'll probably have to delete this since it will get me in trouble with a few people.

I just read it Steve. Feel free to delete now.

I can't imagine even 50% of people fit that criteria for weight on planes, even when you consider kids into the mix (except maybe those to/from SLC because there are A LOT of kids).

Also, it's amazing to me that people need seat belt extensions. Those seat belts are already huge!

I really don't think that people realize (or care about) the effects that their personal actions have on society, and not only merely health costs as Steve points out. Just sad.

They don't. Weight standards were set last in the 70s by the FAA and haven't yet been changed. We do charge by weight on charters now, football teams etc which is new.