Regina Benjamin Leads the Fight Against Obesity

By U.S. News Staff

June 3, 2010 RSS Feed Print

Regina Benjamin knows all too well that it's tough to make the time for exercise. Before becoming the nation's 18th surgeon general, Benjamin was a small business owner. She founded a rural healthcare clinic in Bayou La Batre, La., and struggled to keep it solvent, making house calls and seeing patients in a rented house after the clinic was devastated by hurricanes and fire. Those challenges inspired her to get her MBA, and work on efforts to fund healthcare for low-income rural residents.

As surgeon general, Benjamin is leading a broad federal effort to combat obesity. "We've done a good job of telling people they need to lose weight," Benjamin, 53, says. "The challenge is going to be getting people to [exercise] and enjoy it."

U.S. News & World Report senior writer Deborah Kotz talked with Benjamin about her early years in rural Alabama, how her own struggles with weight have guided her mission to promote healthy living, and what the government can do to help Americans get up and move.

Listen Now: Regina Benjamin

[Click here to listen to the interview with Benjamin]

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Tags:
Surgeon General,
obesity,
weight loss

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Really?

And here I thought it was a choice.

As for higher insurance premiums consider this, if you have a bad driving record (a choice) you pay higher premiums.

If you choose to be obese, smoke, drink, use drugs etc then yes your premiums should go up. It's called being responsible for your choices.

Did you notice in the entire health reform debate not one person suggested this. Why? because it puts the responsibility where it belongs on the individual.

7 out of every ten doctor office visits are preventable. No one congressman or Senator addressed that, the real problem.

Why should I pay for your lack of discipline? I'm not saying that you have to be trim and fit and not smoke or drink. I'm simply saying that if you choose to over eat, not exercise, smoke and drink then don't expect anyone else to pay for your choices.

This is the underlying problem with many of the things that are wrong in our society. A person buys more house than they can afford, they can't make the payments and guess who has to pay. Same underlying problem, lack of personal responsibility. I know farmers who don't take out crop insurance because they know that if a storm comes through and wipes out their crop the government will bale them out. Same problem.

So go ahead call it a disease, feel good that you are helping people when in fact you are enabling them.

I say enough, I think people should be responsible for their choices.

Dan of CO 6:33PM June 04, 2010

Mr. Young of TX suggested raising insurance premiums as a persons weight goes up. Does he also recommend raising premiums for people who smoke, drink alcohol, don't exercise? There are many other lifestyles I could list also. People who have the disease of alcoholism who quit drinking are able to get liver transplants. Alcoholism is a disease. People who smoke and get lung cancer are given treatment for their disease. Obesity is a disease also and should be treated accordingly.

Lynn Christenson of WI 12:31PM June 04, 2010

This is an Environmental Crisis, a food Environmental crisis.

I think we need to toss out our couches and TV's .

www.obesitythunderbay.ning.com

Why not add fruit cups to soda machines?

Discuss Mc PLaylands for 3 year olds.

Is food our next tobacco?

Paul Murphy 4:31PM June 03, 2010

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