What’s the True ‘Root Rot’ of American & Global Health?

The problem with root rot is that you don’t usually notice it until it’s too late. A tree or plant can appear perfectly healthy above ground while it’s secretly dying underneath. Even the smallest signs of distress can mean the disease is too advanced to reverse. Occasionally, however, the plant can be saved by immediately replacing the soil around it. 

I bring this up because while a vaccine for Covid-19 is (and should be) a massive priority for our country and world, we can’t waste this opportunity to dig deeper into the soil of global disease. In this three-part series, I’m going to outline the root problems that have impacted our global health, economy and standard of living. And I’ll make the case that now is the time to develop a true “vaccine” to save millions of lives and lead us into a healthier, happier world for decades to come.

Part 1: “Imagine a Viral Contagion”

In October 2019, in a pre-Covid age that seems like a distant memory, I delivered a presentation at the Manova Global Health Summit in Minneapolis. My first words were, “Imagine a viral contagion.” From there, I showed the audience an animation of a virus spreading rapidly across all 50 states. “Imagine the panic,” I said. “Imagine the urgency. Imagine the focus on solutions.”

How sadly prophetic this looks today. I didn’t have any inside information on the coronavirus, which at that point hadn’t even appeared in Wuhan, China. I was simply comparing our reaction to a 30-day virus with the slower-moving—but very real and threatening—30-year obesity epidemic. My point: The critical difference is speed. We snap into action when things hurt us quickly. When they kill us in slow-motion, we remain complacent until, like root rot, it’s too late. 

By any definition, obesity is a slow-moving contagion. The World Health Organization states that 1.9 billion adults are now overweight or obese. If two parents are overweight or obese, then their kids have an 80% chance of “catching” it (compared to just 14% if both parents are fit). In the last 30 years, The U.S. has gone from a less than 10% adult obesity rate to a 40% obesity rate among adults and nearly 20% among kids. The biggest global killers—diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, high blood pressure, strokes and certain forms of cancer—all stem from obesity.

Covid-19 is a huge threat on its own, but obesity makes it far more deadly. Especially in the United States, the coronavirus death toll would be significantly lower if we were in better shape. World-renowned epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, who has been warning about pandemics for decades, said in the early days of the Covid-19, "45% of the U.S. population over the age of 50 are obese. I worry that we are going to see a major increase in [coronavirus] case fatality rates here in this country compared to what's been seen in some other countries in the world just because of that somewhat unique risk factor to us in the U.S.”

Again, sadly prophetic.

At this point, you probably think I’m going to argue that obesity is the “root rot” of our health problems. But it’s more complicated than that. Because something more sinister—yet also 100% curable—lies at the root of obesity. I call it “body illiteracy.” Put plainly, we don’t know squat about our own bodies. While they constantly flash us signs telling us how they’re doing and where they need help, we can’t even read them. This state of ignorance is no match for a world where junk food and sedentary entertainment are always just a thumb tap away.

To bring this point home for my audience at the Manova conference, I created a video where we asked Minnesota State Fair goers about their knowledge of various things, including local weather, their gas consumption and their body intelligence. It’s a fascinating watch, and I encourage you to take a few minutes now to view it:

Before you laugh too hard, think about your own answers to the questions posed in the video. Would they have been much better? We didn’t have to do much editing to make our point, because body illiteracy affects everyone from Baby Boomers to Generation Z. Every generation tends to overestimate their caloric burn, underestimate their caloric intake and not know the fundamental numbers that indicate their fitness level. When that happens, everyone enters the fast lane to obesity and chronic illness.

But I’m not here to preach. I’m here to learn. Specifically, I’m here to crowdsource answers to the most important questions we face. Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to tell me your resting heart rate. But I am going to ask you 7 questions that I think are critical to our country’s health. And I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

1.    John F. Kennedy once said, “Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. Our growing softness, our increasing lack of physical fitness, is a menace to our security." How did we as a nation go from that warning 60 years ago to the point where, according to the CDC, obesity and weight issues—even among our active duty service members—have risen 73%?

2.    In a world where young adults have to constantly navigate a barrage of convenience store food, drone fast food delivery and sugar water in a can, should we test for BQ (Body Quotient) as well as IQ?

3.    Why, despite empirical evidence linking higher activity to better academic performance and higher self-esteem, why do we show zero tolerance for low reading and math scores while tolerating poor physical literacy?

4.    Why have our public schools spent 20 years reducing or eliminating physical education programs (due to budgetary concerns), and why has participation in school athletics declined for 30 years?

5.    Should we demand that schools hire health coaches and nutritionists, and mandate gym, nutrition and holistic health classes from kindergarten through college?

6.    What role should data play in addressing obesity? Should we all have a Personal Health Score like we have a personal credit score?

7.    How do we ingrain a healthy mindset from childhood through adulthood, so that people can become CEOs of their own health?

Despite decades of success in the fitness industry—and despite helping to build the biggest co-ed fitness chain in the world, which is now on all seven continents—I’m still asking questions and looking for answers. Our progress on body illiteracy, obesity and chronic illness is not nearly fast enough, and we’re seeing the results of those failures every day.

Let’s start the discussion here. Please share your thoughts below. Thank you.