I saw yesterday that several of the soft drink companies are only putting in lower caloric sodas in schools than have been there previously. With childhood and adolescent obesity being epidemic, this is quite the responsible act. Companies have the "responsibility to the stockholders"...i.e. make as much money as possible, but when the bottom line is better even though people are being hurt, then one has to wonder about the sense of responsibility the ownership/managemnet of the company feels. Hey, one way of looking at this is the following: People are responsible for their own actions...we have "diet sodas" available and therefore we are providing a choice for people. We are not forcing them to drink regular sodas".
Protecting people against themselves is a controversial subject. Yes, we make the choice as to whether to drink a diet soda or a regular one, but what I have learned running the Serotonin-Plus Weight Loss Program is that being overweight is not a "choice". If it was, 68% of America would not be overweight and 38% obese. Human behavior patterns, genetics, chemical cravings etc make us a weight-gaining specie. Adolescents do not think about heart disease, diabetes, co-morbidities etc...that is why the choice needs to be made for them..i.e. do not make it easy for them to get the high sugar drinks. Adults? Presumably they are better positioned to make their own choices and take responsibility. Eliminate sugar sodas altogether? Hardly...Tax them higher? I am okay with this....
Taking responsibility for the obesity crisis has to be bourne by both the individual, governmnet, insurance companies and corporate America.
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After reading yesterday’s blog, I think it is not so right to generalize …for our cardiologist(…not the 15 dr. group) not only insists on weight control but advises and encourages achieving the goal which keeps me accountable. To be fair, he spends more time with us than even our primary care.
It is my feeling, having a weight loss program in house is a challenge for time and focus. All of us have only 24hrs/day to manage our career and personal lives. If they are over stretched, the people who pay the price with the quality of service are us, the patients!
But to have the freedom to choose the right weight loss program is great! Just like choosing a doctor!
If the insurance pays for it, will they have it in house? A good question!
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