While the Republican race seems to shift from candidate to candidate with each primary, it seems to be a two horse race between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. Here’s a brief look at how they compare on the complex issue of health care.

Mitt Romney on Healthcare

Mitt Romney has had to do a peculiar dance regarding health care. In his home state of Massachusetts, Romney has presided over a successful state-run health care plan, but since state-run health care is not a popular stance with the Republican base that will get him the party nomination. It’s probably the main sticking point as to why he hasn’t already shored up the nomination.
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Last night’s State of the Union address from President Obama covered a lot of ground in a relatively short period of time. Nearly none of that covered health-related issues, mainly because it wasn’t politically expedient in an election year with job fears and emotions over tax fairness.

There were a few passing comments on health issues, none in any real depth. However, one really struck home with me:

“I will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury pollution, or making sure that our food is safe and our water is clean,” said the President.

While many of us are eating too much junky processed food and not enough healthy natural food, water, the vary foundation of life on Earth is being threatened. It’s an issue that gets next to no coverage anywhere in relation to other environmental problems. But it’s the one problem that, if it got out control, would be the quickest route to our demise.

About 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. More than 60 percent of an adult’s body is made up of it. Without it, you will die in about three days. It’s pretty important.
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There’s always a bit of political grandstanding that goes on during a president’s state of the union address, but it is especially ratcheted up during an election year. This is one of the key moments for President Obama to make the case for his re-election. That means he is most likely to talk about the economy and various issues surrounding it.

Insiders say topics will include the continuing housing crisis, jobs, and fixing a tax and financial system that many think is unfairly rigged for the richest few.

What, if anything, will be said about the state of healthcare in the U.S.? It seems doubtful much of anything, other than a cursory mention, given what most people will be voting on this year.

Much of the address will be targeting the all-important voting block of the middle class. Many of them are certainly struggling with their pocketbooks… but many are also without healthcare. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people without health insurance coverage was 49.9 million in 2010.
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Many weight loss success stories begin with a personal revelation. That moment when it suddenly strikes the person like a lightning bolt that something has to change. For John Thompson of Wichita, Kansas, that moment came when he weighed in for a job physical only to see the number on the scale read 400 pounds.

With so much to lose, it would be easy to understand if John was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Luckily, he took some powerful words of wisdom to heart.

“I knew I had to change but didn’t know what to do. I watched Dr. Oz a lot, he always said change something, start small,” says John. “So I started with brown rice instead of crap sides like bread and butter.”

From there the positive changes started to pile up. John quit drinking soda, minimized fast food, ate out less and started watching his portions. Most importantly of all, he stopped drinking alcohol, which was a problem he only saw after a DUI charge.

“I was crushed and realized I had to quit drinking because I made terrible choices while drinking. This slowly became the best thing that ever happened to me.”
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On January 17, America’s favorite tough-love trainer Jillian Michaels is joining President Clinton for his foundation’s health conference entitled Health Matters: Activating Wellness in Every Generation, held in Indian Wells, California. It is the Clinton Foundation’s first conference devoted exclusively to health and well-being issues.

The conference will also be the first major event during the week of the Humana Challenge PGA Tour golf tournament. The conference will include other high-profile health advocates, including celebrity chef Lorena Garcia, health and wellness advocate Notah Begay III, and Susan Dell of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.

President Clinton has joined his daughter Chelsea (who will also be in attendance) in adopting a vegan lifestyle, a stark contrast to the fast food and junk food he was known to favor during his years as president and earlier in life. After quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 and stent surgery in 2010, it’s not difficult to understand his new-found resolve.
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