The current landscape of American healthcare focuses too much on pills and procedures and not enough on lifestyle, according to Dr. Robert Sallis, a family and sports medicine physician and the first guest in Elon University ’s 2022-23 Speaker Series lineup.
Sallis, who is based in Southern California, advocates for increased physical wellness and physical wellness education. He will speak at Elon Sept. 12 at 7:00 p.m. in McCrary Theatre.
“I have become very acutely aware of the impact physical activity can have on health,” Sallis said. “I’m very frustrated that we don’t try to leverage that to improve our patient's health.”
Sallis said the evidence that increased physical activity helps overall health is clear and should be advocated more by medical professionals.
“People who are doing regular exercise have better control of their diabetes, have lower rates of blood pressure, less likely to suffer acute coronary events,” Sallis said. “There is no better medication to help us live longer and healthier.”
In addition to promoting an overall increase in physical activity and wellness, Sallis advocates for schools to require physical education beyond primary school through higher education.
“I think schools have an obligation to ensure that every child that goes through any school, at any level, is physically active,” Sallis said. “Just as much as it is important that they learn to read and write, you need to learn to exercise.”
Sallis said colleges and universities have an especially impactful role when it comes to promoting health, wellness and physical activity. He said universities have the responsibility to ensure that students are healthy in all facets of their college life.
“I was a bit dismayed that you put them in a dorm, you gave them a card that allowed them to eat all the food they wanted with no limit, that you kept them up late, and you stress them out … but there was no requirement to exercise,” Sallis said. “That is irresponsible in my mind that you neglected my child's health.”