The Obama administration and the 111th Congress have chosen to tackle health care reform as their top domestic priority - and rightly so.
I am not a politician, nor am I a policy expert, but I do know a thing or two about promoting health and fitness, having been a pioneer of the personal training industry, a successful fitness entrepreneur, and for the last four years, chairman of the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
In each of my endeavors I have successfully encouraged people to take ownership over their own problems and break down their health and fitness goals into small, simple steps.
As a country, we're overweight and out of shape and regardless of whatever health care reform package we end up with, we will not be able to effectively reduce overall health care costs if we don't exercise more and eat better.
So, while we wait for our political leaders to finalize an effective health care reform package that extends access to quality health care to all Americans, I suggest three simple things we can do to help reduce overall health care costs now:
1. Doctors and other health care providers - Prescribe exercise to patients who would benefit from being more physically active.
2. Principals, teachers and other educational leaders - Consider it part of your mission to encourage your students to be physically active inside and outside of school. Childhood obesity has risen at an alarming rate over the last 30 years and is causing too many of our children to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and other health problems, which in turn burdens our health care system with skyrocketing medical costs.
3. Moms, dads, kids and all Americans - when it comes to exercise, do something fun, do something simple and don't quit! Don't quit on yourself, don't quit on your health, and don't quit on this great country!
Jake Steinfeld is chairman of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting physical activity and fitness for all Californians.
