What would it take?

What would it take to get you/keep you motivated to lose the weight you need to?

What would it take to motivate you to make the lifestyle changes necessary to keep that weight off FOREVER?

Yesterday, I was taking to a friend about the economic situation in California. The state is looking for $8 BILLION to make ends meet.

Ironically, yesterday, I was doing research and came across a report entitled THE ECONOMIC COSTS OF PHYSICAL INACTIVITY, OBESITY, AND OVERWEIGHT IN CALIFORNIA ADULTS.

The report states that (as of 2000) “A five percent increase in the percentage of physically active and leaner adults could produce cost savings benefits of about $1.3 billion per year, or almost $6.4 billion in five years, while a ten percent increase would avoid nearly $13 billion in direct and indirect medical costs.”

The report is looking for 1 or 2 out of every 20 Californians to become active 30 minutes most days of the week and lose as little as 5% of their body weight.

5% of a 250 pound person is 12.5 pounds. We are not talking about huge amounts of weight.

30 minutes of activity (not exercise – doesn’t have to be at a gym – mowing your yard – housework – walking to the store – these all count)

With this, California alone could save all of this money in healthcare costs. Plus, all of those people incurring the costs would be more healthy and productive.

As I was thinking about the conversation I had and the report I found, I began to think about what would motivate Californians (or any of us) to take on this challenge – move a little more and lose a little weight. ???

I thought about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger make a call to the people of his state to lose weight and move a little more in an effort to help out the economy. With the right PR firm running the show, would we be inspired to do what we needed to do for the greater good (think Victory Garden of the new century).

Maybe it would motivate us, maybe it wouldn’t. Most of the things that we think “should” motivate us to make long term changes to our eating behaviors (our health, peer pressure, ease of movement, for our children, for our spouse, etc.) haven’t worked -- Sure, maybe for a while but not long-term.

So now what? What about a Victory Body?