"This guy remembers what medicine is all about: treating people. That should always guide the conversation, never politics, money, or government. There are many skinny 12 year olds that have diabetes.. We live in a world..where looks matter..and fat is ugly and gross..if it was vice versa..doctors and the media, would be talking about a SKINNY Epidemic.. And how were going to be dropping dead by 35..."
Good Morning Folks,
We are a company that moves, innovates and constantly (re)Imagines.
We are also a company that cares about its people. We're growing faster than any of our competitors, so it's more important than ever that we encourage our employees to take pride in their health and happiness.
Many people spend their lives waiting to be happy. You may think, “if only I had more money,” or “could lose weight,” or you fill in the blank, then I would be happy.
Well here’s a secret: you can be happy right now. It’s not always easy, but you can choose to be happy, and in the vast majority of circumstances there’s no one who can stop you except for yourself.
That's why I am so excited to present Dr. Peter Attia's very different take on diabetes, a subject many of our talent force are facing firsthand.
As a young surgeon, Peter Attia felt contempt for a patient with diabetes. She was overweight, he thought, and thus responsible for the fact that she needed a foot amputation. But years later, Attia received an unpleasant medical surprise that led him to wonder: is our understanding of diabetes right? Could the precursors to diabetes cause obesity, and not the other way around? A look at how assumptions may be leading us to wage the wrong medical war.
Here is a clip from the transcript that really hit home for us:
“This is a really subtle distinction, but the implication could be profound. Consider the following analogy: Think of the bruise you get on your shin when you inadvertently bang your leg into the coffee table.
Now, imagine we thought bruises were the problem, and we evolved a giant medical establishment and a culture around treating bruises: masking creams, painkillers, you name it, all the while ignoring the fact that people are still banging their shins into coffee tables.
How much better would we be if we treated the cause — telling people to pay attention when they walk through the living room — rather than the effect? Getting the cause and the effect right makes all the difference in the world.”
Proactive vs. Reactive Health Awareness
What if we treated our personal health the same way: working to prevent sickness and disease, rather than reacting when it’s already too late?
ou should watch this even if you don't care about diabetes. Peter Attia is a doctor who has developed a deep, empathic humility. It is motivating him to question how we currently view diabetes and obesity. The story is personal, but also clinical, and it may change the way you see doctors.
Back to diabetes, Attia has found that insulin resistance causes obesity, rather than obesity causing diabetes. This is a huge difference and it turns our conventional wisdom about obesity upside down. Fat people are becoming obese and diabetic because of another process that is going on - NOT because of overeating and lack of exercise.
This other process, the cause of insulin resistance, may be the consumption of processed sugars and grains. It may be due to consuming too much corn syrup and our over-glutenized wheat. These are both relatively new foods for us, popularized by convenience foods that emerged in the 1950's and have now come to dominate our food supply. Fortunately for us, Dr. Attia has stepped up and is working on a research team that is looking into different aspects of this problem.
Said one commenter on the Ted site, "Wow - incredibly powerful - His theory definitely needs more consideration - the obesity crisis is destroying humanity. I for one haven't been able to figure out why my diet of 1500 to 1800 calories a day of whole foods - and exercising at least an hour or two strenuously every day keeps me at 270 pounds - at 6 feet tall - and I'm 62. Three slices of pizza causes me to gain 4 to 5 pounds."
According to the Kaiser Foundation, the cost of employer-sponsored health coverage for families has increased nearly 100% during the past decade. In addition, total health spending accounted for approximately 18% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2010.
Bottom line: Staying healthy not only costs a lot of money but requires an investment of time. The investment pays off in employee productivity, morale and high performance. Smart companies are starting to direct energy to educating employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It's good for employees, and it's good for business.
We are a company that moves, innovates and constantly (RE)imagines. We are also a company that cares about its people. We're growing faster than any of our competitors, so it's more important than ever that we encourage our employees to take pride in their health.
But the benefits of health no longer have to be restricted to FSO employees only. What better way to encourage employees to take care of themselves than by using social tools? After all, we have our phones and tablets with us all the time. Here is a link to 5 Social Apps To Encourage Employee Health and Wellness so you can take full advantage of the connectivity to improve your health and well-being.
My commitment to my employees and their future is paramount, hence why we are continuing make to these types of investments in our talent.
Thanks to you for “caring” (and sharing!).
Have a GREAT Day,
Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer
Ideas are not set in stone. When exposed to thoughtful people, they morph and adapt into their most potent form. TED Tuesdays on MitchWeiner.com highlights some of today's most intriguing ideas. Look for more talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more— HERE.
About FSO Onsite Outsourcing
Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest growing companies for the third consecutive year, and lead by industry pioneer, Mitch Weiner, FSO's growth and success can be attributed to making a positive and powerful impact on their clients' bottom lines, as well as their employees' careers and lives.
