environment for most people. So, I think
the end math game will equal more PF
members. It only makes sense to incentivize people to work out as it is better for
everyone to help lower health care costs.”
What’s Next for the PHIT Act?
The PHIT Act was first introduced in
the House in 2007, but its companion bill
introduced in October 2015 was the first
in the Senate – a very important step in
getting legislation approved by Congress.
It’s been referred to the House Committee
on Ways and Means, and the committee
chairman determines what bills pass the
committee stage to go to a vote in the
House or Senate. The Ways and Means
Committee has more than 1,000 bills
currently on the docket, so constituents
speaking out to support legislation can
help.
A bill must be passed by both the
House and Senate in identical form and
then be signed by the president to become
law.
Sebald encourages franchisees to
further research the PHIT Act. After
researching, “if you are in favor of the
PHIT Act, then you should contact your
state’s representatives to educate them on
the legislation and ask that they help get it
put into action,” Sebald said.
Clawson recently participated in the
Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s
(SFIA) National Health through Fitness
Day on Capitol Hill in March. He was
joined by a group of 150 people, including
PHIT act sponsors and athletes. “Together,
we held more than 90 meetings with U.S.
Senators and Representatives and received
an unprecedented support for the bill.
We encouraged legislators to consider the
devastating effects that inactivity is having
on the country, and offered them a clear
path forward through the PHIT Act on
helping them address this problem. My
message is that this pandemic needs to
be addressed and it must happen now.”
He continued, “The bottom line is that we
need to change the country’s attitude from
being default sedentary to default active,
and I think the PHIT Act is a major step in
making that happen.”
Clawson also recently wrote an open
letter regarding the act, and more information can be found on the PHIT America
website. He is encouraging other club
owners to advocate as well and suggests
that clubs should educate their members
on the savings they’ll see if the PHIT act is
passed through in-facility promotion.
“We need help from everyone –
manufacturers, clubs and exercisers – to
push this legislation to the finish line,”
urged Clawson. “The PHIT Act is the most
important legislation in the history of the
fitness industry.”
With mounting evidence supporting
the use of preventive health care, such
as living a more active lifestyle through
physical fitness and activity, to decrease
obesity and the related health care costs
in the United States, the PHIT Act seems
particularly poignant. Planet Fitness franchisees and others in the fitness industry
are in a prime pos