Now that the health-care mandate has been modified (it’s a tax stupid) and passed by the Supreme Court, we are going to hear waves of information about reducing health-care costs.

One very important element that is not talked about is our own personal responsibility for good health. We are a very overweight society, which drives up health-care costs. It has been reported that Medicare costs could be reduced by one-third if we eliminated obesity, which is rampant in the U.S.

Will one of our leaders from D.C. (or locally) ever come before us and tell us the whole truth about health-care costs? These costs could be reduced dramatically if each of us would take responsibility for personal health by eating nutritious food and exercising regularly.

I know our leaders can’t dictate our habits, but they can at least identify and talk about what each of us can and should do to improve personal health and thereby reduce health-care costs.

Don McConaghy