Obesity Costs Us $147 Million a Year!

A study released Monday said the medical costs of treating obesity-related diseases could reach $147 billion dollars (read press release here). This number has grown substantially from the $117 billion a year in 2000 when the Surgeon General testified in front of Congress on the topic.

The study published by Health Affairs said obesity currently accounts for 9.1 percent of all medical spending, up from 6.5% in 1998. That means almost 1 dollar out of every 10 of all medical spending in this country goes to treating obesity. This number is even higher when you consider the treatment of diabetes ($191 billion a year) and the absenteeism and lack of productivity cause by obesity.

Per capita medical spending for obese individuals was $1,429 dollars more each year than those of normal people. For those that don't believe this a correlation between higher medical care costs and higher obesity rates, think again.

There is a huge debate currently taking place about what is the best model for insurance- public vs. private. This study this is the wrong debate- whether our insurance plan is public or private we will still be an obese country. We must focus on getting people to be healthy because that will lower our costs, instead of bickering about whether a public or private plan is best.

The study also showed that obesity rates grew 37% percent between 1996 and 2006! In only 10 years we have become much much more obese as a country. It also showed that on average we now consume 250 more calories a day than we did 10 years ago. Thats one extra donut, one extra soda or one extra ice cream cone.

If you consumed 250 more calories a day that would equal 26 pounds of weight gain a year! Over a ten year time frame that would be 260 pounds! When looked at in that light it is pretty easy to see how our obesity rate has increased almost 40%.

While I believe individuals should be held responsible for what they put into their bodies as well as the choices the make we as a society have to make it easier and cheaper for people to eat healthy. Fast and junk food are now the most convenient and cheapest options. So obviously that is what most people will choose.

Why is it that you can pay 30 cents more at McDonalds for 10 more ounces of soda and double the french fries, but when you try to get fruit or vegetables you have to pay a couple dollars?

We can provide healthy food for cheaper. It is just a matter of priorities. Instead of subsidizing the corn and soybean industries that inundate us with high fructose corn syrup and unhealthy fats our government should make fruit and vegetables inexpensive and readily available. Instead of allowing fast-food restaurants to serve us hamburgers that have more fat than a stick of butter, our government should require them to serve healthier menu options.

The bottom-line is that we must engineer society so that we make it easier for people to eat healthy and be active. When do this we will be much closer to solving the obesity epidemic that costs each US money.

Phil Lawler and PE4LIFE

Piggybacking on the post I made yesterday about the need for more effective physical education in schools I would like to highlight a program, PE4LIFE, that has been doing this since its inception in 2000.

PE4LIFE trains school districts to improve their physical education offerings and has had amazing success in improving student’s health and academic performance. Check out their website here.

This past Friday I had the privilege of speaking with Phil Lawler the founder of PE4Life. A four-time cancer survivor and 35 year baseball coach, physical activity advocate and entrepreneur, Phil has been on the front line of the fight against childhood obesity. His message has reached schools around the country and the world, the floor of Congress and the pages of Time Magazine and other major news outlets. Phil is an amazing individual and the hour conversation I had with him opened my eyes to so many things.

Apart from not providing sufficient physical education to our students, our schools do not provide them with the right type of physical education.

Physical education has always been sports focused and results based. We put a premium on how fast you can run a mile, how many pushups you can do and how many free throws you can make in a row. We allow the physically inclined to thrive and ostracize the non-athletic students.

Perhaps your PE experience was different, but in mine every activity we did was a team sport. What about those kids that don’t like sports? Or just aren’t very good at them? What are they supposed to do? Sit and watch or not participate?

Well, after talking to Phil who has observed PE classes all over the country for 35 years, the answer is yes.

Many of the kids that need PE the most fail to get anything out of it because we do not provide them with the right medium through which to be physically active.

What is worse, we focus mainly on playing team sports even though as adults we seldom play organized team sports. According to Phil less than 4% of the US population over the age of 24 plays on an organized team, so why are team sports the main focus in PE class?

Well, whatever the reason is, one thing is for sure, they shouldn’t be the focus. In addition, to team sports we should look to non-traditional means of exercise like dance, martial arts, rock climbing, team building games and exergaming. Exergaming has shown huge successes in improving student’s health and academic performance in the schools that have implemented. Phil like many others believes exergaming holds the key to bringing us closer to solving the childhood obesity epidemic.

Well exergaming might be part of the solution, what is for certain is that we need to incorporate many non-traditional means of exercising into PE class to allow all students a chance to participate and feel good about themselves.

The King of All Exercises: The Squat

The Squat

My workout today inspired this post. I had a great leg workout mainly because of the squat and front squats I did and it reminded me how great of exercise the squat really is.

The squat is the best exercise for any fitness goal- weight or fat loss and muscle building. The squat involves every muscle in your body with a focus on your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and core- the biggest muscles in your body.

When trying to lose weight or fat, it is very important to do exercises such as the squat that involve many big muscle groups. The reason the squat is so effective is because it requires the use of your whole body- from your legs, core back, shoulders and arm that have to stabilize the weight on your back.

The squat can be done at home with no weight, so even beginners can and should do this exercise.

The squat is performed by taking a little more than shoulder width stance with your feet. If you are doing a body squat and using no weight, try putting your hands out in front of you for balance.

1. Distribute your weight towards your heels and then pretend that you are sitting back and down into an imaginary chair. If you want to put a stool or chair behind you when you first start this can help you to master the movement.

2.Start flexing your knees to move yourself downward while maintaining your weight on your heels. It might feel weird at first to sit back, but keep the weight on your heels because most of us rarely activate our glutes. Think of your butt and hamstrings being the muscles that are guiding you down into an imaginary seat 8-10 inches below you.

2. Keep your chest up and out, with your eyes looking towards the ceiling so your upper body stays up right and does not fall forward.

3. Continue to lower yourself with you glutes and hamstrings until your legs become parallel to the ground, remember to keep you chest up so your lower body does not fall forward which will put undue pressure on your lower back.

4. Make sure your knees never come over your toes! This will put pressure on your knees and is a sign that you are not sitting back and that your quads, not your glutes and hamstrings are the main muscle working....you should not look this
this



5. Continue lowering yourself until legs have come close to parallel with the ground.

6. Then push through your heels keeping your back and chest upright until you return the to starting point.



7. Try to do 10 reps like this (without the weight on your back, hands out in front), lowering yourself for two-three seconds and then pushing yourself up in 1-2 seconds. Do this 3-5 times for a total of 30-50 squats.

When you have mastered this movement you can put your hands behind your head and do 15-20 squats, 3-5 times.

Then progress to holding weight at your sides and performing the same movement.

Once you have mastered that you can try a squat with a barbell on your back.

To make this even tougher try resting the barbell on your shoulders and performing a front squat. This move is very advanced and should only be tried after the squat form has been completely mastered.

So when your in front of the television, get up and try doing some body squats. The squat will not only help you build muscle but also will rev up your metabolism and leave it running fast way after you have finished your workout.

Here is an instructional video on the body (air) squat) from crossfit, check it out.

Eating Regularly Helps Weight Loss

The Importance of Eating Regularly


In the last post for parents I spoke briefly about diet and nutrition and mentioned the importance of eating regularly.

I know you have probably heard that eating every two-three hours is optimal for weight loss, fat loss and even muscle building but I would like to clarify why.

Let me start off by explaining your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

BMR is the amount of energy (calories) that your body needs if you were to stay in bed all day. It is the amount of calories your body needs to perform the most basic of functions- blinking of your eyes, breathing, and everything else you body does internally to stay alive.

Your BMR, or the speed of your metabolism, is determined by many things including your age, your height, weight, your daily activity, but also how frequently you eat.

The last one is very important. The more often that you eat the faster your metabolism becomes, because it has to work harder to process the food you put it in. But if you don't eat, your body hoards food, not knowing when it will be fed again and your metabolism slows down.

Many people when trying to lose weight, think that eating less is the best. This actually slows down your metabolism.

When you stop eating, or eat less your metabolism becomes like a starving prisoner that does not know when it will be fed next. Like a starving prisoner who might be fed once a week, your metabolism hoards that food and comes to a crawl.

You can't lose weight when your metabolism is at a crawl. When losing weight you want your metabolism to be going as fast as possible- processing all the food you put in it as fast as possible.

To speed up your metabolism you must eat often- every two to three hours. Not only will eating often rev up your metabolism, but it will also keep you satiated and keep you from binging.

If you are feeding your body regularly you will not have hunger cravings you have when you skip breakfast, lunch or any other meal.

When losing weight you want to speed up your metabolism and eating less is not the answer. In addition to eating more often, lifting weights and during cardiovascular interval training helps to speed up your metabolism.

To get a good idea of what your BMR is calculate it here

Post for Parents

We must be role models for our children.

Children living with one obese parent have a 70% chance of becoming obese and a 90% chance if both parents are obese. That means the lifestyle you practice DOES impact that of your children.

Being a parent is hard- taking care of the kids, work, other obligations seldom leave time for much else. A common excuse for not exercising regularly or eating healthy is "I just don't have time".

A healthy lifestyle DOES NOT take time. It takes prioritizing and a little planning.

Make eating healthy food regularly and exercising 20-30 minutes a day part of your routine. This might seem hard but it is just a matter of making it a habit.

Exercise

When you get home take 20-30 minutes that you would spend in front of the tv or on the computer and go for a walk with your kids, the dog or your significant other.

If you have equipment (treadmill, bike, elliptical) use it when you are watching tv. You can get a great work out at home.

Bring running/walking shoes to work and go for a walk with your co-workers at lunch time.

ALWAYS TAKE THE STAIRS!


You can burn hundreds a calories a day just by taking the stairs instead of the elevator (check out how many calories you burn using the stairs). By taking the stairs you will strengthen your legs and your heart.

When parking anywhere, park as far away from your destination so you walk the maximum distance possible.

Run around outside with your kids, play sports with them and make your family time activity based.

Join a gym or a team or engage in your favorite sport on the weekend.


No matter what type of exercise you are doing try to find a partner to exercise with, exercising with someone else is always easier and forces you to work harder.

Sample Workouts

Fat Loss

Muscle Building

Nutrition



With the right preparation eating healthy can be convenient, easy and even taste good.

Plan to eat smaller meals more regularly- 5-6 times a day

By eating more regularly you will fill satiated throughout the day and will not overeat at lunch or when you get home from a long day

Pack yourself lunch and a mid-morning, mid-afternoon snack. By packing yourself food you can determine what you are eating and will not have to choose from unhealthy options when going out.

Sample snacks: mixed nuts, a cup or piece of fruit, a low sugar, low fat energy, protein or nutrigrain bar, a bowl of oatmeal, a protein shake, cottage cheese, a can of tuna


Eat denser foods with less calories (vegetables, fruits)- a big bowl of fruit will fill you up more and only has 100 calories whereas a small candy bar will leave you feeling hungry even though it has over 300 calories

Add protein to your diet- low fat milk and cheese, beans, nuts, turkey, chicken, lean meat, eggs, fish are all good sources of protein which helps in muscle building and keeps insulin levels low


Cut down your sugar intake

Eat complex carbohydrates (grains, pasta, brown rice, fruit, vegetables) as opposed to simple carbohydrates (foods high in sugar, high fructose corn syrup, chips, soda, candy, ice cream)

A good rule when eating carbs- if the food can melt on your tongue easily it is a simple carb that can be broken down easily and will spike your insulin levels which is bad, something that takes longer to dissolve (a grainy piece of bread) is better for you

Sample Day of Eating:

Meal 1: 2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites with 1 Slice Low Fat American Cheese & 1 cup of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries,

Meal 2: 1 scoop of whey protein mixed with low fat milk and a fruit of your choice

Meal 3: Turkey sandwich with mayonnaise, low-fat mozzarella cheese and multi-grain bread with 1 cup of baby carrots

Meal 4: Banana and a 1 cup of mixed nuts

Meal 5: 6-8 oz of chicken, fish or steak, 1 tsp of olive oil with large mixed salad, 1 small baked sweet potato

Meal 6 (desert): 1 cup of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries with vanilla yogurt or low fat whipped cream

Daily Workout and Meal Coming Soon

Watch out for the daily workout and meal coming soon to FitZees blog. Each day I will feature a new workout geared to kids, teenagers and parents. I will start off with beginner workouts and progress into more advanced workouts as the days go on. I will specify who the workout is targeted towards and will instruct you through every step of the way. If you have been waiting to work, here is your chance! Stay tuned.

Get Started Exercising Today!

Getting Started

Making a decision to start exercising and improving your eating habits is the first and most important step

It is important that you take this first step, because losing weight is a lifestyle change. There is no quick fix or fad diet that works in the long-term. So be ready to make physical activity and healthy eating part of your life!

Step 1: Set S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely) Goals


A recent Harvard University study showed that people who set goals, write them down, and look at them daily reach their goals 200% more often than people who do not. So set yourself specific goals that you can measure, attain and do so in a timely fashion. If you have not exercised in a long time, a S.M.A.R.T goal might be to begin exercising 2-3 times a week. Once you have done this for a month or so you can increase your goal, but if you make unrealistic and unattainable goals you will most likely end up frustrated from not reaching it and end up quitting.

Step 2: Assess your Fitness Level and Track Your Diet

It is important to get a baseline of your fitness level so that you can then form a workout program. You can do so by seeing how long it takes you to walk/run a mile, how many push-ups you can do, how long you can do a cardiovascular exercise for without stopping (biking, running ,elliptical, etc) amongst many other easy fitness tests. If you can only do 15 minutes of cardio then begin a program of 15-20 minutes of cardio 2-3 times a week and the increase duration or frequency every two weeks.

Exercising is only half the battle. To lose weight you must change your eating habits as well. Start by keep a journal of what you eat so that you can see what you put in your body each day and make changes as necessary.

Step 3: Design a Program

Make a plan! If you don't want to go to the gym, there are many other ways to start exercising. Walking, swimming, dance, martial arts and any sport is a great and fun way to start exercising. Do exercises that involve large muscle groups and that get your heart rate up.

Start eating fruits and vegetables, lean meats (chicken, turkey, pork, lean steak) and complex carbohydrates (whole grains). You can still eat your favorite foods, but if they are full of fat and/or sugar try to decrease the amount you consume.

Have FitZees Design You a Program Today!ees customize your workout and diet for you!

The Need for Weight Training in Schools

Just ran across this article in Reuters about School Fitness Programs not doing enough to curb the obesity epidemic. The article talks about the need for strength training in schools, because most fitness programs are based off low-intensity cardio. While any type of exercise is better than no exercise, school programs really should have a strength training component.

Strength training helps you build muscle, lose fat and speeds up your metabolism. For each extra pound of muscle your body burns 60 or more calories. Whereas low-intensity cardiovascular activity will burn calories while you perform the activity strength training builds the muscle that will burn calories long after you are done working out.

If you don't believe me, think of the difference in body composition of a sprinter vs. a marathoner. The sprinter is usually bulging with muscle even though his event last for less than 20-30 seconds while the marathoner is not very muscular.

This juxtaposition shows the difference in low vs high intensity activity and cardio vs. strength training. Sprinting which can be thought of as a form of strength training since you are using your muscles at a high intensity helps you build muscle while running for a long distance at a low intensity only strengthens your heart. While both are important, school fitness programs and PE classes focus to often on the latter- low intensity cardio vascular activity. If we are trying to change body composition and accelerate fat and weight loss we must start implementing strength training in schools.

Strength training does not need to be in the form of conventional weightlifting, but can rather come from body weight exercises. These body weight exercises such as squats, push ups, lunges, and pullups are very important in building coordination and strength. They can be done by kids of any age and unlike weight lifting, they will not put undue pressure on the joints of growing children.

ABCs for Fitness founded by Dr. David Katz of Yale University outlines a simple way to involve strength training in the classroom throughout the school day. Using short activity bursts of 5-6 minutes, ABCs for Fitness teaches kids functional movements that you do every day- squat, lunge, etc while helping kids be active, burn off restlessness and have fun while doing it. Not only does it help kid get through the school day but it helps teachers use up idle time throughout the school day and quell behaviorial issues that may come from boredom or restlessness. Try ABCs for Fitness in your class!

Shape up the Nation

I want to bring your attention to an organization started by a Brown student. Rajiv Kumar, a Brown medical school student co-founded Shape up Rhode Island as a way to encourage exercise and nutrition in the workplace. This statewide exercise and weightloss challenge allows participants to compete on teams and track their weight, exercise hours and pedometer steps over a twelve-week period during the Spring or a eight-week period during the Summer. The sign up fee is minimal and participants feel good about themselves as they lose weight and become active all in an effort to live healthier lives. In its 4th year, Shape Up Rhode Island has helped over 35,000 people lose weight, walk millions of millions and work together to improve their health.

Rajiv has taken this very successful model nationwide with his new organization Shape up the Nation. Shape up the Nation facilitates fitness competitions in the workplace by providing an online wellness platform where participants can track their progress. Shape Up takes care of everything from marketing the competition, registering members, tracking progress, providing motivational materials, rewarding the winners and aggregating the performance of all participants. Shape Up caters to all fitness levels and when employees sign up they can choose which metrics they want to track, including weight loss, exercise minutes, nutrition, smoking cessation and pedometer steps.

The model has proven to be very successful and is now being used by corporations such as CVS/Caremark, UPS and Union Pacific amongst many others.

I encourage you to check out Shape Up and bring it to your workplace if it is not already there!

This model seems to be a great way to get people excited about being active and I think we could start similar competitions in our schools. I remember doing the Presidential Fitness Challenge as a kid and I remember how excited my classmates and I would get about it. We need to implement more fun and friendly competitions with a focus on getting kids to be active and eat healthy. This is what I will be doing, so if you would like to help please contact me.

New Obesity Study Out Shows The Problem Worse Than Ever

Trust for America's Health "F as is Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing America" report has been released and it shows the obesity epidemic worsening since the release of the same report two years ago. 47 of 50 states now have 25% or more of their children (10-17 yr old) classified as overweight or obese defined as Body Mass Index (BMI) higher than 85% BMI percentile and 95%, respectively. The state with the highest percentage of overweight and obese children, Mississippi, has a rate of 44.4% and Utah and Minnesota came in tied for the lowests rate with 23.1%.

That means that in the state with the lowest rate, almost 1 out of 4 children are either overweight or obese! And in the Mississippi that rate is almost 1 out of 2.

Check out where you state ranks on page 12 of the report.

Trust for America's Health reminds us how big a problem this epidemic really is and how it threatens to affect the future of all our children.

While shocking, these numbers are nothing new, but the study does reveal some interesting findings. It shows that children are more likely to gain weight during the summertime, two to three times faster than when they are in school. The study attributes this "summer slide" to higher caloric intake outside of school and decreased physical activity when not in school.

This might be hard to believe since we think of the summertime as a time when kids are outside playing, but this study suggests that children participate in less physical activity during the summer than they do during the school year.

Such a finding makes clear the need for schools and communities to provide summer physical activity programming so that children do not return to school heavier. Making the school gym, playground or local park available for supervised use will give kids an opportunity for being physically active. Especially for those who may not be able to afford summer camp.

The study also showed that the largest proportion of low-nutrient, energy-dense foods is
consumed at home, not school. While not surprising, it found that "children ate or drank the most calories at locations away from home and school, including restaurants, corner stores, after school clubs, and ice-cream trucks".

This makes the case that we as parents, educators and community members must provide our children will healthier food options. We have to make energy-dense foods less available and encourage our children to consume less energy-dense foods with a higher nutritious value. This starts in the home since what we keep in the cabinet is the most accessible, but extends to restaurants and corner stores. As consumers we have to request healthier options at the local corner store or restaurant so that when our children opt for the healthy option it is actually available.

Teenager Does His Part to Reverse the Epidemic

Today I ran across a story about a 17 year old in Memphis, TN, Steven Hollingshead who is working towards reducing childhood obesity in his community (read story). Hollingshead started "Get Moving" at his local YMCA to get his peers exercising and feeling better about themselves. Hollingshead recognized that his peers needed help and he got moving.

Every Monday thru Friday from 3 to 7 pm Hollingshead conducts Get Moving Sessions at his local YMCA. He spilts his 40 to 50 person program into two rotating groups with one doing cardio and weightlifting activities well the other does their homework. While role modeling a healthy lifestlye he also leads by example in the classroom. He has a 4.0 GPA.

He and his program demonstrate the important interlock between exercise and school. Exercise not only makes you feel better about yourself, gives you energy, but it also improves your cognitive ability. It gives you the discipline you need to suceed in school and the confidence to do so.

Get Moving participants are proof of the power exercise can have on scholastic achievement. "I'd say 90 percent of the students that come here now are on the honor roll and it wasn't always that way," said Sabrina Norwood who manages the YMCA at which Hollingshead runs the program.

To honor all he is doing Hollingshead won a $1,000 Teen Wellness Leaders scholarship from the National YMCA and Amway Global. Congrats Steven and keep up the great work!

We should follow Steven's example and encourage our kids, friends, parents and peers to be active and eat healthy. We can also be a good role model for those around us by exercising regularly and demonstrating healthy eating habits, so like Steven Hollingshead, we too can be part of the solution!

Healthy Alternatives When Eating Out

I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing fourth of July weekend. I would like to say Happy Birthday to my dad, whose birthday is today!

Well, CNN's FitNation put out an article today about eating healthy when eating out (check it out). It lists the many ways at which you can choose healthier and more nutritious options when eating out with friends and family. It also makes a good point that each person's dietary needs are different- some people may have to worry about calories while others, sugar or salt.

For example, if you have high blood pressure, foods high in sodium might be your primary concern. So that means when eating out at a chinese restaurant try to stay away from foods high in MSG such as lo mein, fried rice, egg rolls and choose steam vegetables, chicken, steak or seafood instead.

If its calories you are watching then when out for Italian try cutting out the alfredo sauce, big pasta and bread portions and eat something with more vegetables and lean meats.

Debra Alban, the article's author does a good job of giving healthy alternatives for your favorite types of food, so check it out!

Mom Charged with Medical Neglect Speaks Out

I've been following this story about a South Carolina mom, Jerri Gray, who was charged with medical neglect for allowing her 14 year old son to balloon to 550 pounds and now the mom has spoken out (watch here). Not only is she claiming no responsibility, but she is blaming the fact that she worked two jobs as the reason for her son becoming morbidly obese. Now I sympathize with how hard it must be to be a single mother working two jobs, but that does not excuse the fact that you let your son become 550 pounds at age 14.

This story proves how important perceptions and role models are. Her perception of her son is not one of a morbidly obese individual because she herself is close to 400-500 lbs as well. Being surrounded by his mom undoubtedly change his perception of weight so that he begins to think that 550 lbs is normal.

The mother must take responsibility for not setting a healthy example. I understand that working two jobs and being a single mom might make exercise and eating healthy tougher, but it is still not impossible. It MUST be a priority. She and her son Alexander, have to and do eat- she even said "sometimes I'd buy him fast food"-so since eating is a necessary human function why not buy something healthier. These options can be convenient and inexpensive, even fast food. McDonalds, Wendys, Subway all have healthy options.

To become 550 lbs in 14 years he would of had to gain 40+ lbs every year assuming he was around 10 lbs when he was born! She could easily have taken away the television and computer and encouraged him to be active instead or prohibited the consumption of food. To gain 40lbs a year you have to be eating all the time

I am glad to see that the state stepped in and did something about it. The state can not be monitoring the weight of every child since that should be the parents responsibility, but there is a place for monitoring in schools, doctor's office and on sports teams. With that said, healthy behavior must be role modeled within the home as well!

Hopefully Alexander can lose weight as the once 400 lb Jessica has (watch here). The 7 year old who gained 200 lbs from the age of 5 is another example of parental neglect. Not sure why her parents were not charged either. She was 200 lbs at the age of 5 and then gained another 200 lbs in two years! The girl could not walk she was so large, but would continue to ask for food (watch here). The parents could have done something to prevent this, like limiting her food intake and getting to exercise. Yet another example of parents not being a good role model for the kids and not instilling/encouraging healthy behaviors.

Welcome

Welcome to Fitzees Blog, the official Blog of Fitzees.com.

Fitzees is an online platform dedicated to solving the childhood obesity epidemic and reducing health care costs associated with it through individual, parental and community-based solutions. Fitzees provides kids, teenagers and parents advice on how to be active and eat healthy. As well as innovative approaches and customized plans for parents looking to help their child get fit and lose weight. We also consult school districts on how best to promote physical activity and nutrition and help schools facilitate physical activity programming and competitions. All in an effort to raise a healthy generation of children, starting with generation Z.

Fitzees Blog is meant to raise awareness about the epidemic, foster discussion about the problem and its solutions, as well as build a community of individuals looking to solve the epidemic. We encourage you to share your thoughts, questions and suggestions with us and check out our website Fitzees.com. To solve this epidemic we are going to need your help- be part of the solution!

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