The most recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 65 percent of U.S. adults — or about 129.6 million people — are either overweight or obese. In addition to decreasing quality of life and increasing the risk of premature death, obesity and overweight cost the nation an estimated $117 billion in direct medical costs and indirect costs, such as lost wages due to illness.

This increase is not limited to adults. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens aged 6–19 years, 16 percent (more than 9 million young people) are considered overweight.

These increasing rates raise concern because of their implications for Americans’ health. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including:

Although one of the national health objectives for the year 2010 is to reduce the prevalence of obesity among adults to less than 15 percent, current data from the CDC indicate that the situation is worsening rather than improving.

According to former U.S. Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, MD, of the 2.4 million deaths that occur in the United States each year, 75 percent are the result of avoidable nutritional factor diseases.

A CONFIDENCE GAP

In spite of the widespread promotion and marketing of thousands of treatments, devices, therapies, programs, and products that purport to regain health, induce weight loss, and prevent regain, the most remarkable aspect of most of them is their failure rate.

Compounding the problem is the fact that so many treatments, hailed initially as “breakthroughs,” are found eventually to result in significant health risks themselves.

This has resulted in an enormous consumer confidence gap that is kept open by programs that are not founded on documented clinical trials; are not structured to effect behavior modification or measure outcomes; are viewed as alternative (temporary) instead of natural; and lack credibility for treating patients with complicated co-morbidities, such as diabetes, cancer, hypertension, and obesity.

PICK UP THE BALL

Medical research conclusively proves that first-step therapy with patients who are just developing hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and heart disease, is highly effective in both prevention and treatment. This therapy includes a healthy diet, nutritional supplements, and moderate exercise.

Unfortunately, medical doctors simply give these recommendations lip service as they quickly write out another prescription.

Where the allopathic medical community drops the ball, you can pick it up. With a minimal amount of training, you can quickly learn to diagnose the early signs of insulin resistance and predict which of your patients would be most likely to develop these problems years before they occur.

Armed with diagnostics and preventive information, chiropractors can consult with patients and offer them the opportunity to actually reverse the underlying cause of diabetes and obesity (insulin resistance) and guide them into wellness.

This is truly preventive medicine. You are actually correcting the underlying cause of these debilitating and deadly diseases, rather than the symptoms!

A NEW WELLNESS TOOL

One way to become this wellness leader is to harness technology — the Web or software programs — to your benefit. Interactive wellness programs are available that teach a scientific balance of exercise, nutritional supplements, and healthy, tasty food.

Several studies now show that Internet-based wellness programs that incorporate daily journals, use e-mail correspondence for coaching, and provide consistent interaction have a higher retention rate than traditional programs.

If you are among the 84 percent of chiropractors who recommend nutritional counseling, supportive techniques, and/or supplements to their patients, and want to enhance your nutritional efforts to patients through technology, look for an interactive program that:

YOUR REWARDS

Unbelievably, retail sales within consumer-packaged goods for the health and wellness industry reported $68 billion in 2004, according to findings from the Natural Marketing Association, and trends are expected to continue with sales of $73 billion in 2005.

You can participate in this trend by offering online wellness programs to your patients. Your rewards will include:

The greatest reward, however, may be the personal satisfaction of knowing that your patients are making the best possible financial investment in their health. A technology-based behavior modification program — combined with the caring, personal touch of your hands — allows your patients to enjoy each day to its maximum, while decreasing their chances of contracting debilitating, expensive, and deadly chronic diseases in the future.

Ray Strand, MD, is a graduate of the University of Colorado Medical School and has been involved in a private family practice for more than 30 years. He is the author of several best selling books, including Death by Prescription (Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2003) and Healthy for Life (Real Life Press, 2005). He is presently on the medical advisory council for Zonsite, www.HealtheLifestyleProgram.com. He can be reached at info@raystrand.com.

Julie Michael is with Zonsite and can be contacted at 913-488-7844 or by e-mail jmichael@zonsite.com.