Choose wealth, choose health, for life.

Conventional wisdom holds that poor health is a direct outgrowth of a lack of financial resources. And for the truly impoverished, that is true. But for the majority of the rest of us, the opposite is more likely to be true: Poor health habits are hampering our ability to acquire and accumulate wealth.

Too many of us choose unhealthily prepared and processed fast-foods over healthier food choices, including fresh fruits and vegetables, because we've been convinced that it is more expensive and inconvenient to eat healthy (and that if something is good for you, it can't possibly taste good). Too many of us put off adopting a regular fitness regimen, deeming the cost of a gym membership to be an unaffordable luxury. We complain about the rising cost of health insurance, yet too few of us practice basic preventive health habits such as getting a thorough annual physical. And when we finally do see a healthcare provider, we grouse over making the co-payment and then ignore the doctor's orders to exercise more, eat better, and make other lifestyle changes. If this is you, it's time to make a change.

Building our wealth while neglecting our health are mutually defeating activities. Our collective resistance to investing the necessary time, money, and effort to protect and improve our health gives new meaning to being penny-wise and pound-foolish. The epidemic of obesity sweeping our nation is hitting African Americans, regardless of economic background, harder than any other community. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that one of every three black men is obese and that three of every five are overweight. It's even worse for black women, half of whom qualify as obese and 79.5% of whom are overweight. The result is that black Americans are under assault by every debilitating disease imaginable, including diabetes, heart disease, and many cancers.

The cost of treating disease resulting from poor health habits is staggering for individuals, families, and our entire community. It forces us to spend more of our income to cover medical costs, including paying for medicine, therapy, and hospitalization--money that can be used to invest in our children's education, start new businesses, or finance our retirements. If you think pursuing a healthy lifestyle is expensive, try living sick and dying during your peak earning years--between the ages of 45 and 54. Too many African Americans die just as they get there, which means too many of us don't live long enough to make our fortune, much less save and invest it. And too many of the survivors are too sick to enjoy to the fullest what they've earned.

Poor health outcomes are also a drag on the growth and profitability of American business, and blackowned companies--which are more likely to employ African Americans--in particular. According to a Duke University Medical Center study, obese workers filed double the number of workers' compensation claims and lost 13 times more days from work injury or illness than did non-obese workers. The result is rising healthcare and insurance costs for our companies and also for our employees and their families. This is why we have intensified our support of corporate wellness activities at BLACK ENTERPRISE, serving healthier foods at company events, arranging for discounted gym memberships, and sponsoring fitness activities and health screenings for employees. It's also why we were the first company to kick oft the 50 Million Pound Challenge (www.50millionpounds.com), the weight-loss campaign led by Dr. Ian Smith and sponsored by State Farm, to mobilize African Americans in the battle against obesity.

Failing to invest in our health lies in direct opposition to BE'S mission of creating a legacy of multigenerational wealth for African Americans. Conversely, a healthy lifestyle--focused on regular exercise, good nutrition, timely medical examinations, and disease prevention--goes hand in hand with establishing a wealth-building legacy for us and future generations of African Americans. If you believe in our mission, I challenge you to invest in your most valuable wealth-building asset--your health.