U.S. needs czar to coordinate health efforts

America needs a trainer.

The country needs somebody qualified to help whip our butts into shape. That somebody would have the power to command, influence and draw resources from various aspects of the government to help us get in better shape.

This person, with our help, would lay out a comprehensive plan to help fight childhood obesity and, on a grander scale, obesity in general.

The United States needs an obesity czar, akin to John P. Walters, the director of the Office of the National Drug Control Policy - our drug czar.

According to his White House bio Walters "coordinates all aspects of federal drug programs and spending."

So, there are coordinated programs on the federal level that help to put a dent in this country's drug addiction. We need similar "coordinated" programs to help our obesity issues on a national level.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, which is essentially headed by a group of experts, consulted for various programs.

Each state has a public health department that has various programs. Problem is that nothing is streamlined. The programs generally want the same goal. But hardly anybody is on the same page. Some programs say it takes 20 years to achieve what others promise to do in 10 years.

Who's right? Who's wrong?

Don't think an obesity czar will take care of all of our problems. The drug czar doesn't. But he does have a plan, a roadmap to fight against illegal drugs and drug use.

Rhetorical question: As a nation, what kind of plan do we have to fight a huge obesity problem that's only getting bigger?

Some governors have helped institute statewide plans aimed to educate and gain control of obesity issues within the state. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has tried getting sodas and fatty snack foods out of school vending machines.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist established a Council on Physical Fitness to "develop a state plan of action to increase Floridians' level of physical fitness through regular exercise and sound nutritional practices. The goal is to reduce the number of Floridians who suffer from chronic diseases resulting from obesity within the next ten years."

Each was scrutinized and at times lambasted for the efforts.

I applaud them for at least trying to do something to help their states. I'm all for programs that educate folks about better fitness and health and help them achieve it.

However, it'd be better if those programs were part of a larger, national program with some gumption, something that is more than, "watch your portions," which is actually one of the tips the CDC gives us.

America has tried getting in shape on its own, and it's failing.

America needs a trainer.

Milo F. Bryant's fitness column appears in Monday's Life section of the Colorado Springs Gazette, and his blog is at milobryant.blogspot.com.