This article is written by Rob Maxwell (learn about his education), M.A. Exercise Physiology, CSCS and ACSM CPT from www.fittothemax.net. Follow him on Twitter.

Obesity is still an epidemic

COVID-19 has changed the world

COVID-19 has changed the world - or did it reveal how the world really is? I guess that question is for a different time and place.

I know that it has changed how we do things. It’s changed the economy and how we socialize with each other. I know that it’s wreaked havoc on the world and I know that it’s created a lot of fear. It’s real.

How it started and how to fix it is really over my pay grade.

It is sad that it got politicized by all parties because, in my opinion, we’d be further along slowing this down drastically if it hadn’t been (which seems impossible in our current culture).

Obesity is a really big problem that we need to address

I know what’s not above my pay grade though and that is the obesity crisis. I’ve been working in health and fitness for over 25 years.

The thing that hasn’t changed is that obesity is still not being thought of as an epidemic. Yes, COVID-19 is a pandemic. Obesity is an epidemic and has been around for decades.

The research is now stating that one of the biggest comorbidities of COVID-19 is obesity. It seems to have a much greater impact on those that are obese and have other symptoms of metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of diseases such as obesity, high blood glucose, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. All of these mentioned diseases are mostly caused by obesity.

If this is the major comorbidity of COVID-19, then why aren’t we making this a major problem to finally address and take seriously?

Obesity and metabolic syndrome is an epidemic that we need to take seriously.

Exercise is essential

The fact that gyms and other parts of physical fitness were not considered essential in this outbreak shows how little is understood (or recognized) about the effects of physical fitness on our health.

Physical fitness is essential. Say it again: physical fitness is essential.

I understand that when you are trying to control a contagious pandemic, places housing big crowds need to have regulations or even be closed; but lumping all physical fitness into one category of non-essential spoke volumes to the general public.

Did “box” gyms need to up their game with cleanliness and social distancing? Absolutely! I also think that social distancing is a good idea. I have zero issues with masks. I’m not against these measures at all. I’ve followed them from the beginning.

Where I think we went wrong (in this area) was thinking of physical fitness as non-essential.

Did many fitness businesses get help from the government for having to close? Yes they did. That’s not the problem. In fact, many did better financially due to this than if they would have remained open. Not all did; but many did.

I’m talking about the message sent. Let me say it again: Physical fitness is essential for good health, building immunity and protecting against pandemics such as this.

Physical fitness is essential for good health, building immunity, and protecting against pandemics like the one we face today.

We neglected physical fitness when our health was of major concern

Again, I’m not going to go down the road of political fighting. This isn't about how the government handled the pandemic. That’s above my pay grade.

This is about why all of us don’t continue to make physical fitness a priority.

Can we really blame the government for the fact that people gained weight in the past year while being in lockdown? That’s a fact. Look it up.

We were already obese as a nation (70% of U.S. is either obese or overweight) and we increased that number this past year.

Was life harder for many? Yes it was and I’m not being unsympathetic, but some people that I know really got moving and lost weight.

It’s never anyone else’s fault and we all need to let that sink in. We need to make fitness and healthy eating a priority so we can have greater success in fighting off diseases such as COVID-19.

We need to make fitness and healthy eating a priority for everybody.

Why doesn't everybody prioritize health and fitness?

Why don’t we? I don’t think that there are enough public health figures touting the benefits of keeping a healthy body weight, activity, and healthy eating.

I did not hear a lot of that from national public health figures. But again; I don’t think that we can blame the establishment either. I think that it comes down to three things.

1. We don't face the consequences of our actions immediately

The impact of gaining weight and inactivity affects us later. It doesn’t catch up immediately. We don’t gain a pound and feel awful. It’s not until we gain 30 pounds which may take years until we really start to feel it in our health.

This works the other way too. People often quit working out and eating healthy because they don’t feel or see the benefits right away. Humans do things for the immediate reward. Health doesn't work that way.

We tend to choose things that give us instant rewards and neglect long term consequences.

2. Health and fitness can be confusing to people who don't know what to do

There is still a lot of confusion about how to tackle obesity and other issues related to lifestyle.

I’ve said this countless times and I’ll say it again: We, the experts, have known the way for a very long time; but the message gets drowned out by money making programs that are sexier and louder.

It’s a free market so we can’t blame that either. People need to do a better job of looking up and learning how to really get in shape. The information is out there.

I will admit that “experts” have confused people.

Ultimately, many don’t know where to start. I think that this is where we failed with COVID-19 regarding this very topic. We should have, as fitness communities, really come out more and spoke about the basic and simple steps people can take to improve their health using physical fitness and proper eating.

But again, it is still a personal responsibility of the individual to seek the help. It is out there.

3. Health and fitness takes work

It’s work. I don’t think that we like work very much. Proper eating is not as fun (in the beginning) as bad eating. Going to the gym (for many in the beginning) isn’t as fun as going to a game and drinking beer.

I don’t know how much we like work. Overall, I think that we can agree that work and hard things like to be avoided when possible.

It takes work to eat healthy (in the beginning) and it takes work and prioritizing to get into a workout routine. Many want to avoid hard things whenever they can.

I'm not meaning to sound judgmental here. I think it may be human nature. There are things that are hard that I like to avoid - whether it be hard conversations or dealing with problems.

I just think that if people found the right help that is out there for diet and exercise, they would find that any work that they put in is far worth it.

Good things require an investment, but give more than they take.

Let's make it better!

Let’s do this. Let’s stop fighting. Let’s beat COVID-19 and get back to life. Let’s wear our masks and social distance. Let’s unite!

Let's help our neighbor instead of fighting with our neighbor if he/she doesn’t agree with the stance of the party that we may be a part of. That’s all silly, isn’t it?

Let’s understand that obesity is also an epidemic that is causing many, many health problems in our country and around the world.

If you aren’t eating what you would call healthy and if you are not in a physical fitness program, look for real experts to help you. They are out there. Start with the American College of Sport’s Medicine for one.

If you are a healthy eater (in your estimation) and consistent exerciser, help someone else to get started. We've got this! A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.