I believe it is safe to assume that people who take the time to locate, join, and participate in a health club or exercise studio, or those who seek the services of a personal trainer, think that such activities are beneficial to their health. And, there is good evidence that they are correct as it seems that hardly a day will go by where I don’t read or hear about the results of some well-designed new study that’s espousing the positive benefits of being physically active. Be it cancer, stroke, heart disease, depression, obesity, or any of yet another dozen or so maladies, a properly prescribed exercise program has proven to be very helpful in either the treatment of the condition or reducing the possibility of getting the condition in the first place. Given this well-documented information, one would think that far more than the surprisingly low 14 percent of the U.S. population (as reported by International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA)) would participate (be members) in our many health and fitness facilities. However, what is even more surprising is that more than four times that many adults seek other, far less proven, forms of “healthful” alternatives.
A study, conducted as a subset of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), found that 62 percent of adults surveyed had used some form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) during the year of the study. Defined as “… a group of diverse medical and health care systems, therapies, and products that are not presently considered part of conventional medicine,” the use of CAM has grown dramatically since the 1990s and has continued to show substantial growth in the past five years as people strive to more actively participate in the management of their own health. Further, it was estimated that this “participation” represented an expenditure of between $36 to $47 billion dollars (in 1997 dollars) with as much as $19.6 billion being paid for out-of-pocket (more than the out-ofpocket fees paid for hospitalization by the U.S. public).
Obviously, people have a right to spend whatever money they want (or can afford) on whatever form of medical or self-help health intervention they want. But, what is also obvious is that, unlike the findings associated with exercise programs, there is scant evidence that supports that much of what is offered as CAM really works. Stated differently, upon closer review of the positive health claims advanced by providers of CAM, there is little evidence (based on wellcontrolled and conducted clinical trials) that such products or services produce claimed outcomes. And, the study found that this is particularly true with respect to such supplements as Echinacea (reducing the effects of the common cold), Ginseng (improving reaction time, learning ability and concentration), Ginkgo Biloba (preventing Alzheimer’s and dementia), and Garlic (lowering cholesterol and blood pressure).
So, is it fair to ask why some 62 percent of the U.S. population will spend large sums of money and, in some cases, ingest unproven (if not unknown) substances in pursuit of health? Further, is it unreasonable to expect that – given the facts concerning the many beneficial aspects of well-designed exercise programs coupled with sound dietary practices – more than 14 percent of the U.S. population would want to avail themselves of the professional services of our industry? The answer to these as well as other questions must be determined if we are to truly advance our industry as a proven “complementary and alternative” form of medicine. For no other service industry is better positioned to be the alternative to CAM. There is strong and convincing evidence that people want to assist in managing their own health. So, why can’t we, to a much larger extent than we currently are, be their partners in that process? And, if we were to pick one “complementary” area that would have the largest impact, in both numbers of people and health benefits, I would strongly suggest we focus on obesity. For obesity has been called the “disease of diseases” because it is linked to 32 other diseases. Further, by using welldesigned and proven weight management programs, we know we can truly impact this serious medical problem.
Robert C. Karch, Ed.D is the Chairman of Biometrics Nutrition & Fitness. He can be contacted at 866.246.1922, or by email at bob@biometricshealth.com.
