IHRSA Chairperson Calls Upon Health Club Leadership

On my flight to San Francisco today I cracked open the September 2010 Club Business International, where I ran across Art Curtis' article "A Culture of Healthy Behaviors" on page 85. Art is the Chairperson of IHRSA, which represents the global health club industry. Here is an excerpt:

Like many of you, I was excited by the possibility that our national leaders might be able to work together to produce genuine healthcare reform. And, like most of you, I was extremelt disappointed when the resulting legislation dealt more with reforming health insurance than improving the nation's well-being.

Of course Art's right and I've written extensively on the topic he raises (see for example Private Insurance, Health Care & Corruption, and Why Wellness Takes a Back Seat in the Reform Debate). The bottom line behind why policy is NOT embracing the obvious wellness solution is that there isn't a wellness "dog" in the policy fight.

To combat the challenge, Art calls for the leaders of the fitness industry to launch a comprehensive campaign that will improve our nation's health through positive personal behaviors and working closely with important stakeholders like government agencies, educators, the medical community and others. Its a good idea and to those that might read Art's writing I'd ask what I think is the most important question - how do you really think this can best be done ?

Looking forward to your comments and thanks Art for keeping your eye on the ball.