Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante writes about his personal battle with obesity. He notes that the direct and indirect medical costs of obesity in California are $21.7 billion annually. What's one way to reduce those costs? Personal accountability--his own.
There's an epidemic of obesity in California.
People with the condition spend 36 percent more on health services than those with normal weights and 77 percent more on medications. A 2000 Rand Corp. study estimated the direct and indirect medical costs of obesity in California at $21.7 billion annually.
Clearly, with healthcare insurance costs increasing faster in California than any other state, something needs to be done. But what?
I'm starting with myself.
A few months ago, I got on a scale and saw the needle stop on 278 pounds. I had to admit it. I am obese. I'm setting myself up for heart trouble and diabetes. Years of on-and-off diets never accomplished much. I'd take off some weight and then put it all back on.
Because treating obesity through weight loss has become a major public health priority, a large number of people are trying to lose weight at any given time. Many weight loss techniques are widely available, but I thought it wise to consult with my physician, Michael McCloud, MD, at UC Davis Medical Center, about the best approach.
Dr. McCloud suggested that I meet with nutritionist Jill West of the UC Davis Medical Center. He said that exercise along with proper diet is the most effective and safe way to lose weight. So Jill gave me a plan of 1,175 calories a day, including two fruits and two vegetables, and 32 minutes of exercise daily.
I set a goal to lose 50 pounds this year, and I hope to lose more. I decided to go public with what I was doing, thereby making myself accountable. A Sacramento television station has been weighing me every two weeks.
I started on Jan. 2 with regular workouts on a treadmill. And most weekends, I participate in a run or walk-a-thon somewhere in the state.
In addition, I'm being much more careful about what I eat. I began substituting fish and chicken for red meat. I'm eating the recommended fruits, vegetables and salads, and fewer breads. I switched to healthy breakfast cereals. I'm generally eating smaller quantities of everything. And, sigh, I'm only having one or two glasses of wine weekly.
One of my first trips to the grocery store in January was a real eye-opener. I started reading labels and was amazed to discover the fat and calorie content in food products I thought were essentially the same. For spaghetti sauce, the calories per serving for different brands ranged from 80 to 300.
That first month, I dropped 18 pounds and my weight continues to decline with each fortnightly weigh-in.
I'm the first to admit that it hasn't been easy. But there's a lot at stake.
A Kaiser Permanente study found that 61 percent of the nation's adults are obese or overweight. Obese people have more chronic health problems that result in tens of millions of lost workdays annually. They spend more on healthcare than daily smokers and heavy drinkers.
Obese people shorten their lifespan an average of seven years, and the final seven years of life are usually filled with a variety of medical difficulties.
All of that translates into higher health and life insurance costs. California healthcare premiums shot up 61 percent from 2000 to 2004.
Increasing numbers of Californians and California businesses are finding health insurance unaffordable. Living healthier is one way to start lowering those premiums. And I'm starting with myself.
Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante was raised in San Joaquin, went to college in Fresno and elected as an Assemblyman, Speaker of the Assembly and then Lieutenant Governor, a position he has held since 1998. Bustamante has focused on education, the environment, healthcare and consumer protection issues. In addition to his office in Sacramento, he can be reached through his office in Los Angeles at 213/897-7086 or www.ltg.ca.gov.