(AXcess News) - While Congress and the President battle over the details of healthcare reform and industry experts and special interest groups point fingers in all directions there is one party escaping criticism and blame which represents the underlying cancer of healthcare's current fiscal challenges: the alarming rate of obesity in America.

More than 58 diseases are directly related to obesity in this country, including the top three killers of Americans: heart disease, cancer and stroke. 2 out of every 3 American adults are overweight with 50% of this number clinically obese and the cost of obesity related disease estimated at $150 billion annually expected to double in less than nine years.

"Looming failure awaits healthcare reform no matter how well intentioned, planned and implemented until an all out assault on obesity and inactivity is launched at every level of our society," states Steve Bordley, CEO of TrekDesk.com.

Until the 1970's America had no struggles with expanding waistlines. What has brought about this sudden change? On average American's consume only 100 calories more per day than during the 1960’s according to the National Institutes of Health. Alarmingly, American's burn 600-700 calories less per day than during the 1960's. Do the math, that is a pound of weight gain per work week.

The reasons for this decreasing calorie burn should be obvious to everyone: 2 hour work commutes, sedentary computer related desk jobs, 500 cable channel nightly entertainment: America is literally sitting itself to death.

"We are a fat nation and our current health direction should be classified a national emergency, a threat to our way of life and security," states Bordley. "Our leadership in today's world is dependant upon our business success and healthcare costs currently are the number one threat to our global competitiveness."

Congress and the White House seem reluctant to state the obvious for fear of public backlash however stating the truth and creating solutions is a far cry from pointing fingers at the true political majority in this country: overweight Americans.

In one generation we have engineered movement out of the work place, home and schools entirely and are now suffering the health consequences. This process can be reversed but only if we are willing to recognize sedentary lifestyles as a critical threat to our well being as a society. Medical science has now classified this epidemic as "sedentary disease."

True leadership occurs by recognizing a problem, educating the nation and enacting reforms designed to solve the problem. A weighted emphasis on disease prevention versus treatment is much more effective financially and clinically. While there is no doubt that many of the health care reforms currently contemplated are necessary, a more grass roots approach instituting movement back into the lives of Americans would have a much greater impact in a shorter period of time drastically cutting the costs of healthcare.

Source: Trekdesk.com