The International Health, Racquet, and Sports club Association (IRHSA) has signed on along with 100 national organizations to a letter being sent to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (aka the “supercommittee”) asking that the funding for a number of health promotion programs not be reduced, specifically the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The letter cites research underscoring the significance of prevention and the return on investment that health promotion can lead to in the health care industry. “If we take action to prevent obesity and reduce the prevalence of related chronic disease and illness, the study estimates that we could achieve significant savings for both private payers and federal and states’ governments – even a 1 percent reduction in the average BMI of Americans could result in as many as 2.4 million avoided cases of diabetes, 1.7 million cases of cardiovascular disease, and 127,000 cases of cancer in the next two decades.” The letter goes on to point out the importance of acting now. “At a time when today’s children are in danger of becoming the first generation in American history to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents, we need to get serious as a nation about our commitment to prevention, wellness, and preparedness.”