Fit Nation
where obama's influence is really needed
2009-01-05
By Terry Glover

Barack Obama officially takes office January 20. Can we please get fresh impetus behind the President’s Council on Physical Fitness January 21?

Obama, as we all know by now, works out six days a week. Whether at home or on the road, he makes it his business to find an undisclosed location where he can break a sweat and boost his heart rate. Recent photos of him indicate he’s also taken to hoisting a weight or two, probably spurred by the first set of vacation pics last summer, which revealed his less-developed physique (that, and Arnold Schwarzenegger calling him “scrawny.”)

Much has been made of the tighter abs of the president-elect, mainly news filler stories until he moves into the Oval Office and can officially set about the business of our nation. But, more than feature editorials and a photo-op, Obama’s workout regimen offers an opportunity to set an agenda for our overweight and out of shape nation-body clogging arteries and clinic waiting rooms at an ever-increasing rate.

The National Institutes of Health report that an estimated 66 percent of adults and one-third of America’s children are overweight, a sizable increase since JFK’s 1966 expansion of the council (established by Dwight Eisenhower in 1956) to include adults not getting in enough physical activity. Subsequent presidents, from Lyndon Johnson through the current administration have contracted, expanded or amended its scope, depending on their own vision for the council, with varying degrees of success.

The topic is a presidential favorite, substantial enough to warrant attention, and universally appealing in its mission. But universal appeal doesn’t necessarily translate to real, workable solutions, so federal initiatives, when not outright detrimental, have been soft.

George Bush threw the council a bone in 2003 when he (again) expanded the longstanding President’s Challenge to include adults who perform a physical activity 30- minutes a day, five days a week for six weeks (children are required to complete 60-minutes). Today, as with past council initiatives, if you successfully complete the required activity, you are rewarded with a patch, and I don’t mean the nicotine variety.

Still, NCLB did nothing to remedy the fact that physical education is funded at the state level and there are no minimum federal requirements for quality daily programs in our schools. These are often the first funds to fall by the wayside when budgetary cuts are necessary. Calling for action in the education and preparation of the next generation, the American Heart Association has been busy working at the state level for implementation of the following in our nation’s schools:
- a minimum standard of weekly physical activity that must be completed by every elementary and middle school child
- successful completion of Physical Education as a requirement for high school graduation
- development of national standards for student learning in physical education, similar to standards now set for learning in math and reading
- physical education taught by certified and licensed physical education instructors, not the band director

And while patches are great for the young’uns, and mandatory education at the elementary level will equip a child with the tools to remain healthy for life, I propose something with a little more punch that will resonate with adults who are decades beyond Scout Troops and pounds past their optimum weight. How about a tax incentive for employers who promote physical fitness amongst their employees through on-site workout centers or negotiated discounts with area gyms? What about a direct incentive to individual tax payers with a modest tax credit for gym memberships? In the interest of self-preservation, insurance companies are already on to this, offering corporate discounts on group plans where fitness and pre-emptive incentives are in effect.

We’re slowly getting there. The FDA is getting in on the act, requiring fast food purveyors to list menu calories and ingredients, even as those ingredients go into making a whopping 1,200 calorie double cheddar burger.  But, hey, the first step in recovery is acknowledgement.

Obama made his health care plan a central issue in his campaign platform, mainly revolving around affordable coverage for the average American family. A key piece of any legislation coming out of his initiatives has to include wellness programs and preventative measures. The Obama-Biden plan bears this out in the proposed $2,500 per family reduction in health care costs – a significant savings that can only be realized primarily through prevention, i.e. physical fitness.

So, while we laud him for his cool demeanor, his calm countenance and his ability to bring us together as a nation, let us also follow his lead and get ye to an exercise routine. Our very survival depends on it.

Terry Glover is Senior Editor for EbonyJet.com. She writes on trends and culture, popular and otherwise.