By Amber Mills.

You are probably aware that the United States has an obesity epidemic. According to the National Center for Health Statistics (2009), obesity rates for adults and children have more than doubled since the 1970s and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the direct and indirect medical costs of obesity in the United States, in 2008, were $147 billion. You are also probably aware that the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) is set to launch in 2014. Under the Act, companies will now be able to offer and grow wellness programs that reward employees for losing weight, keeping diabetes under control, and reaching other health and wellness goals.[1] This is all an effort to lower healthcare costs and keep employees healthier.

Could these new incentives give Americans the kick-start they need to become healthy again? I certainly like to think that Americans will decide to take a path toward health and wellness rather than sickness. Don’t wait until 2014 to lose weight and get healthy. Consider getting help from a health and wellness coach. Health and wellness coaches motivate individuals who want to change their life so that they begin living a healthier lifestyle. Health and wellness coaches are not just for individuals seeking to lose weight but for those who need help maintaining the weight they have lost or who are trying to keep their chronic disease under control.

Stop putting your health on the back burner and start your path toward wellness today!

Amber Mills – Curriculum Director

“It is my hope that our students walk away from Soma with confidence in their clinical massage skills and their ability to naturally help the body heal.”