Dan Prince

While our company has always provided modest levels of financial and in-kind contributions to several different non-profits in our community, this year we are refining our approach. We have decided, as a group, to focus on just one cause – Childhood Obesity.

The generation of children and adolescents today is the first in the history of America where their projected life expectancy may be less than the generation ahead of them. A major driver or perhaps the most important reason – the lifestyle of comtemporary Americans, including young Americans.

Put simply: too much food, too many foods that are not good for you, and not enough regular physical activity.

The consequence is an alarming trend towards higher levels of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic health problems, all of which will take their toll at the individual level and the societal level.

As one small step in our effort to align ourselves with positive action around this cause, we recently joined with hundreds of others to “Step Out” in a walk sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. It was a modest venture – just a two mile stroll through the lovely Nashville Zoo on a warm Saturday morning. But it gave us a feeling of doing something together in support of an organization that is trying to reduce the incident of Type II diabetes among young (and older) people.

We plan to do more. We’re contemplating several options, including doing some opinion polling on the topic. Meanwhile, we’ve made a start.

We have our cause, and we’re stepping out!