Advice for President Obama on Health and Exercise

Max's advice for February 7, 2009

Dear President Obama,

Max grew up as the son of a man who knew 'ALL' the answers to the problems of the world. Max's father said so! Many times, his father let everyone know that anyone who didn't know that he had the answers was a turkey or a knucklehead.

The famous Ma Bell, the second most powerful force in the world (next to God of course), thought so much of Max's father's opinions, that she made him 'Supervisor of Troubles'. This is true!

The advice Max promised you, President Obama.

Re-issued the health challenge to the American children!

Max always admired the way President Kennedy challenged people to do things. Even though he had a bad back, he looked fit.

His challenge to his staff impressed pretty much everyone. The race with the old version of Russia did make it a bit more interesting.

Mr. President you are noted for your health (less the smoking) and sports ability. You have an opportunity to get a whole nation to re-focus on healthy activities.

You will face some challenges the JFK did not have to face. The widespread use of corn sweeteners in a plethora of foods stocked in the normal grocery stores is new since the programs were designed. Eating habits were not as much of an issue back then.

The era of fast food was just beginning in the time of President Kennedy and was completely unknown in the time of President Eisenhower. The issue was primarily flab from a world newly impacted by the introduction of television and the recent scare with polio.

There is now and there always has been a need to keep the nation as fit as possible. It is not just keeping the young healthy so they can go into the armed forces, which was something that the presidents of an earlier era had to be concerned with. It is to keep people in general healthy from birth through their entire lives. This will give them the time and health to enjoy the rewards of our society.

With the multitude of distractions you will be facing as you struggle with energy, financial and housing issues, it is important that you find a way to encourage youth and the not so young to be more than couch potatoes.
The presidents, going back to President Eisenhower, have each put their own brand on the development of the American youth.

Being in what appears to be good condition makes the process a little difficult. The country needs to increase the active time people spend each day. It also has to address the change in foods that have contributed to the tendency towards an increase in diabetes.

What you say about exercise and about healthy eating can impact the way young people view these two subjects.

Tiger Woods is a good example in this area with the number of youths that he has worked with through his golf programs. One way one of his sponsors made it possible for people to play with this mega star golfer was to offer a couple of dozen a chance to play with him. The set up was that Tiger stayed on one hole and as the golfers came through he played that one hole with them.

No one expects a President or his cabinet (though Kennedy did) to participate in sports with the people. You, as president, could invite some high school or college players to a pick up game. It could be a game with a lot of swapping in so that a good size group could say they had played with the president. At the beginning and end of the game, which would need to be televised, you could discuss how you are going to move on the presidential sports agenda. It would make a huge 'You Tube' possibility.

This is just an idea of one way to reach the people.

When the President's brother, Bobby Kennedy, hiked fifty miles in the President's Challenge, the Kennedy Administration caught the attention of millions of the children of the Baby Boom!

Max wishes you well in all your efforts to make sure people stay healthy.

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