Jeffrey Levi: How to Save America $16 Billion and Spare Millions from Disease

We know we're in an economic crisis. But at a time like this, when the housing market and gas prices dominate headlines, we can't forget one of our biggest long term economic concerns: the incredible amount the US spends on health care. We spend $2 trillion a year on health care (more than any other country) while staggering amounts of serious diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease just keep getting worse. Take a good look at our risk factors, and you'll see why: two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, one in five Americans does not engage in any physical activity, and one in five adults smoke. How do we expect to compete in the global economy if our workforce isn't healthy enough to be competitive? The good news is, many of these diseases are very preventable, and if we'd just make some small changes in our... [read full story]