Partners on Your Journey to Good Health

I thought it’d be appropriate to start our first blog post with some insight as to why a group of medical students have decided to dedicate several months of their free time (free time in medical school is an oxymoron but indulge me) planning and promoting the Tempe Family Fun Run & Walk.  Personally, I find it easier to support a cause or attend an event when I have a better understanding of the motivation behind it and I’m hoping you operate that way too.  So, let’s begin!

A 2010 study in the International Journal of Obesity made a disturbing observation:  

“…individuals are reaching a higher prevalence of obesity earlier in the life course, they are experiencing a greater cumulative exposure to excess weight over their lifetime, which will likely have profound implications for future rates of obesity-related chronic diseases and mortality within the US population.”  

Of course, we cannot predict what will happen in the future, or how these trends change over time, but the implications are daunting.  Have we inadvertently created the first generation of Americans that will not outlive their parents?

While that may sound like an absurd question, let’s take a gander at some statistics.  According to the CDC, obesity rates in children and adolescents have tripled since 1980!  Since this event is taking place in Tempe, Arizona, let’s look a little closer to home.  In Arizona, as of 2007, 30.6% (almost 1/3!) of our children, our legacy, our future leaders of this country, are overweight or obese.  And even though 30.6% may not be a  jaw-dropping number to some, things aren’t looking brighter as they transition into adulthood.  As of 2010, 73.5% of men and 57.1% of women in Arizona are overweight or obese.  Now, if those numbers don’t have you picking your jaw up from off the floor, I don’t know what will.

So what is the price we pay for having a society of predominantly overweight or obese families?  From a financial standpoint, we’re talking about a twelve-digit figure.  As of 2008, $147 billion was spent on medical care costs due to obesity.  But what about the mental health costs?  1 in 5 Americans suffered from a mental illness last year.  (We can explore the link between weight, particularly diet, and mental health, in a future blog post.)  And let’s be honest, can we really put a price on the health, longevity, and happiness of our children?  Would you want to?

So, going back to the beginning of this article, why wouldn’t medical students, the future leaders of health, create an event that encourages and supports families in their journey towards better health and happiness?  I mean, besides the whole med-student=no-free-time thing :)

As icing on the cake (ok, maybe not the best analogy), this event was created with families in mind.  We have cut our costs significantly and sought out support from generous sponsors to make our event affordable for families to attend.  $40 will allow a family of 4 ($5 for each additional person after 4; children 2 and under free) to participate in the 5K.  Participation in the 5K (running, walking, jogging, skipping, crawling, or some combination) includes a t-shirt, goody bag, AND you are entered into a raffle just for completing the race.  That means if you came in 1^st, 5^th, 25^th, 250^th, you have an equal chance of winning.  However, for those gung-ho competitive types, we will be timing the race in case you want to set a new personal best.

As if that wasn’t enough, we are making the health fair portion of our event FREE.  Yes, I said FREE!  So even if you can’t afford to participate in the 5K (of course, we highly encourage you to try), you still have the opportunity to get all the information and resources you need to start your family on the path to good health.  We’re even having a DJ, bounce house, face painting, and an appearance from the Tempe Firefighters (barring emergencies) so your kids won’t be bored to death.

So please, as medical students with, you guessed it, no free time, accept this gift we’re humbly giving to you: better health, a healthier family, and a happy you. 

As Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” so let the Tempe Family Fun Run & Walk be your first step on a lifelong journey of good health.

With love,

Ashley Russell

Tempe Family Fun Run Coordinator

www.tempefamilyfunrun.com

Medical Student at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM)

N-ACT President

Naturopathic Advocacy and Community Awareness Team (N-ACT) is a student-run club at SCNM that creates the future leaders of naturopathic medicine. Naturopathic medicine helps individuals by treating the root cause of their illnesses using natural methods.  For example, we help patients make lifestyle changes and use naturopathic approaches to encourage healthy weight loss.

*Please be aware that I am not a licensed physician, and am therefore not yet qualified to give medical advice, treat or diagnose.*