By Kim Kirschner, RAMB Chairman of the Board 

I am honored and pleased to be assuming the Chairmanship for 2008 of the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches Corporate Board. My real estate business operates in many cities throughout the State, and as a secondary member of a number of other boards I think I am well qualified to say that RAMB is the most progressive Association in the State, offering unparalleled service and business guidance to our members.

 To take that service one step further, I am pleased to announce that RAMB is launching a wellness and fitness initiative we are calling The RAMB Wellness Challenge. This will seek to offer members information on and access to health and fitness programs, as well as health screening via partners such as hospitals and medical centers in our community. You will soon see features of our RAMB Wellness Challenge such as:

• A monthly Health and Fitness e-newsletter
• Wellness information booths and selected health screening opportunities at our RAMB member events
• Fitness events in which our members can participate as members of “Team RAMB” such as the upcoming ING running and walking 5K, Half Marathon and Full Marathon January 26 and 27, 2008. The ING event will offer RAMB a booth at the Fitness Expo on race weekend as well as a tent at the finish line.

Many of our members are 1099 subcontractors who do not have the opportunity to participate in subsidized health insurance programs. Yet, illness –whether catastrophic or not—may jeopardize the member’s ability to support themselves and their family. Many diseases currently or potentially affecting our members are avoidable with the proper health and fitness education.

Consider the statistics presented in a recent report by Johns Hopkins:

Obesity is now costing Americans $100 billion in health care expenditures, and causes more than 400,000 premature deaths each year. A number of studies have demonstrated links between obesity and a whole host of serious medical conditions, such as:

Depression
Gastro esophageal reflux
Sleep apnea

Gout
Osteoarthritis
Gallbladder disease

Kidney disease
Diabetes
High blood pressure

High cholesterol
Coronary artery disease
Heart failure

Atrial fibrillation
Stroke
Pulmonary hypertension

Blood clots
Dementia
Numerous cancers

A 2007 study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimates that 74 percent of American adults and 24 percent of American children will be overweight or obese by the year 2015. The current statistics show 66 percent of adults and 16 percent of children are overweight or obese.The cause for the dramatic rise in obesity since the 1970’s is thought to include:

• Increased fast food consumption
• Increased portion sizes of restaurant food and grocery products
• Increased driving and computer use (sedentary activities)
• Certain medications
• Endocrine disorders and genetics
• Changing social perceptions of what is "normal" weight 

We look forward to developing this initiative, The RAMB Wellness Challenge as yet another way to better serve you, our members. We welcome your suggestions or thoughts about this program and look forward to hearing from you in the coming year.