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Former agriculture secretaries Dan Glickman and Ann Veneman break down how to fight the obesity epidemic.
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Ashley thanks thank you guys now -- the problem of obesity the money problem obesity as a problem has been growing it's costing the country big time.
If you order include lost productivity the costs according to new numbers just out of add up.
In the United States about 300.
Billion dollars a year our next guests are working on some solutions the former secretaries of agriculture both for Agriculture Secretary is Ann -- and Dan Glickman joined us now.
From DC they're both with the bipartisan policy center now on the start with the -- -- -- and then on this whole idea immediately before we even talk about solutions people might say 300 billion is ridiculous.
That but as a said that it's in productivity just a pure cost I think I read something like it was a 150 billion writes a huge economic problem.
-- this is a -- huge economic cup of problem.
It's productivity costs it's health care costs.
It's it's costs all the way around its cost of what our children are doing in school.
When you look at the overall obesity problem you've got 68%.
Of the people in the United States according to the CDC are overweight.
All of those 13 of the US population is obese.
Obesity leads to a number.
Of -- chronic diseases.
Diabetes high blood pressure cancer.
And joint disease it got the list goes on and on so if we can address this issue of obesity we're addressing an economic crisis and the health -- Talk about how to do that a little bit and I'll go to you Dan -- first on that and you know it's been in the news a lot even this week with all the talk about Mayor Bloomberg here in New York in the right.
A large sodas and everything what's the best way have you found -- the work you guys have been doing to attack this economic problem publicity.
Well well there's no one silver bullet that -- somebody wants that for every complicated problem there is a simple and they wrong solution.
So -- we call to silver buckshot approach you need addresses at all levels for example -- medical schools very few of them give intensive training -- doctors and nurses and health care providers about nutrition.
They treat people when they're sick not to prevent sickness.
Send schools we need more education about the kinds of foods that -- served in schools early childhood we need.
To get kids between the ages of zero intuitive to have -- some form of dietary guidelines -- just.
And businesses have a great responsibility in terms of their own wellness programs in trying to insurance industry is a big thing I guess my answer is it's a very complicated problem.
But it requires an across the Russell looks right -- -- sentiment and that have been doesn't require a heavy handed government approach follow what Mayor Bloomberg is advocating is -- more Michelle Obama.
You know let's move that -- the deal what's the role of government and all of this.
Well we think it has to be a partnership approach should it requires everybody to be involved it requires businesses governments.
Local governments many cities are taking.
Action on these kinds of things the individuals families schools.
But requiring he called it -- requiring people to change their lifestyle just encouraging -- senate's -- what's the best approach there are a number of incentives one of the things we talk about and our report is health insurance cost incentives so many businesses now.
Are working with their employees to get there indicators.
More beneficial so that they can then lowered their their employee a contribution to health care costs those -- the kinds of incentives.
Giving people the opportunity to be tested to understand their own indicators understand what they have to do.
Changing menus in large institutions from -- you know employment.
Because places to hospitals.
Two universities.
Right schools -- -- the school lunch.
You go ahead die down but yeah -- -- -- on this program amount you mentioned Mayor Bloomberg while I don't necessarily adopt his specific approach.
I would have to say that the issue of portion size giant -- of cola sweetened beverages and and restaurants sports venues big -- -- huge dishing some plates of food and cafeterias in schools and other kinds of things.
That is an important issue that portion sizes just increased dramatically the last twenty or thirty years in America and it is a subject we have to address agree with that and that it is the subject of a government -- address directly or is something we should just be.
Encouraging.
As opposed to requiring.
Well it depends I mean it is something that has to be addressed and there is specific research that shows when more is put in front of a person they actually consume more.
My son if you cut important portion is -- in half.
People won't necessarily -- seconds and eat twice as much they will eat less if they don't have as much in front of them so I think we have to look at the science.
It has to be a huge education effort.
There may be a government role but there's a lot of individual roles and there's a lot of institutional roles and all of this.
And veneman Dan Glickman both former Agriculture Secretary still doing some very important work here thanks to both of you appreciate it thank you both -- thanks.
