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Today, the newspaper USA Today announced that about 300 retired military generals have deemed chilhood obesity and overweight a "national security" matter. This was based on a report that the U.S. military was having difficulty finding healthy recruits whose status allowed them to enlist. The group known as Mission: Readiness, show how high calorie, junk foods and those with empty calories are affecting the military's ability of finding qualified enlistment. Fewer and fewer healthy youth are dwindling as perspective candidates in the armed forces. This echoes what the First Lady has emphasized in recent interviews. The CDC and NIH have both published data that reveal the doubling in American pediatric obesity since the 1980s. Thirty percent of American youth are obese and are now affected with secondary diseases usually seen in obese adults such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and liver disease. Youth learn early from television commercials...

In the Fit Family series we've talked primarily about 2 major waves that have "slammed" the healthcare system: The greatly out-of-control increased cost of healthcare and the rapidly rising rate of chronic and acute disease due to lifestyles brought on by the epidemic of obesity. But, now the realization by well read and frustrated physicians brings the possibility of practitioners leaving their medical practices en masse. This is the third tsunami wave that will potentially break the full spectrum of any functioning healthcare system. No matter how much technology, hospitals , clinics or expensive health plans exists; if physicians do not agree with it or refuse to go along with it there is safe or effective system. Several studies support the possibility that 46% to 50 % of medical doctors will leave medical practice beginning in 2013. The AMA(American Medical Association) Masterfile Practice Self Reporting by physicians from 1998 to 2001 measuring physician intent...

Most medical doctors will tell you that if they were ever asked about socialized medicine in their medical shool interviews and spoke in favor of it; they probably wouldn't have remained on the medical schools candidacy list. It seems highly ironic that in the hallowed halls of healing where it is practiced to " do no harm" and preached not to expect compensation due to your profession that to discuss free and open access to healthcare for all is still considered somewhat taboo. It is still even rarely discussed in formal platforms amongst peers in medical school academics to discuss options based on their science and personal expereinces about the topic . One would think that it surely must be daily and hotly debated in schools of public health(a master's level degree), but one would also be wrong. But, with this "self-censorship" amongst the medical profession there are still several organizations popping up that wish to openly debate the possible opti...

Perhaps many of us already know what the impact healthcare dollars may affect our general economy. But, the confluency of healthcare is often overlooked or numerous pieces ot it are not put together in the overall puzzle. As we examine healthcare the single puzzle appears as an illusion, but we begin to see the multiple pieces involving all our nation's economy. The nation is currently facing the shifting demographics in a new changing America where the "Baby Boomer" population is becoming the fastest growing sub-population and they are living a lot longer. This will have a major impact on a shrinking labor force that can assure witholdings for those in their later years.It also means that a larger septugenerian or octogenerian will live longer with more chronic illnesses which will also impact greater cost of healthcare and the general cost of living. The U.S. population has gone from 280,000,000 to 321,000,000 in the last decade with a growing migrant population that wi...

The United States Preventive Services Task Force(USPSTF/the Task Force) is a little known public healthy policy entity rarely heard of outside the health industry. But, it has taken to being perhaps the most influential guideline setter for practitioners and cancer screeners alike. But, what has made the elite group so controversial in the last 3 years are its sweeping cancer screening recommendations that have been rocking the medical practitioner and health consumer world , radically. Where most medical practitioners have observed cancer screening recommendations provided by professional specialty organizations and biomedical institutions such as the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology(ACOG), the American Medical Association(AMA), National Institutes of Health(NIH), or American Cancer Society(ACS) ; the U.S. Health and Human Services has given the nod to the "task force" to become the premiere authority to set all guidelines for all specialties. Many of the ...

Americans consume on average 150 pounds of sugar annually and 78 two liter bottles of soft drinks per year. These astonishing statistics are adding up rapidly contributing to obesity . But a new type of "hyper-war" has begun with childhood obesity featuring chronic diseases "normally" encountered at adulthood .Unfortunately we are losing these numerous battles against what will be an epidemic of cosmic proportions. Enter- Mayor Bloomberg of New York City -who issued a ban on drinks larger than 16 ounces in order to combat the affects it has particularly on childhood obesity, however, along with this a furor has begun by many in the beverage industry citing "science" that states soft drinks are actually "healthy" or have no negative side effects.Susan Neely a member of the American Beverage Association levelled charges of recklnesses by the mayor. That wasn't all soft drink companies such as Coca-Cola and "fast food" restaurants ...

First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign against obesity was launched with awesome ferocity against body fat. Her battle is a rather impressive plan that has included her children's theme called "Lets Move" to end childhod obesity is a concept right on target. She has gotten large food chains to sell more low fat, low calorie and low salt items with better labeling. Since that has happened fast food restaurants like McDonald's have taken up the pledge towards reducing high fat, super-sized foods and drinks regularly sold to young consumers . Coca Cola along with Pepsi have undergone a new policy to reduce sugars in their soft drinks as well. By 2011 the First Lady along with the USDA helped create a newer more accurate modern foods model. Also , just now , Disney has jumped on board with Mrs. Obama by not endorsing particularly unhealthy snack prducts with its Disney theme characters in advertisements to kids during peak "kiddy tv" hours as often.Most o...