Observations...

I am an observer of people--I love to people watch wherever I go. Just back from a quick trip to Chicago and wanted to write about some things I saw... Lots of overweight people with overweight kids. People who had trouble moving, breathing, functioning...living. These people are passing on their bad habits to their children, who at ages under 10, are already exhibiting the same trouble that the parents have. This is unacceptable. The western lifestyle has got to change--no exercise, smoking, consuming WAY too many calories and very bad food choices--too much sodium, fat and processed food. We are slowly killing ourselves and our children.


Although many people think I judge them because they don't "look" like me, that is not the case. I look the way I look because I choose too. I like having muscles and being bigger and I have worked very hard for many years to achieve my "look". My concern for my fellow Americans is not the "look" but the health. A 5'10" man is not built to weigh 285#. His joints are not able to handle the stress, his organs are not meant to work the way they have to work to support the extra weight. Ok, the body is adaptable so it will carry the extra weight and work extra hard to support and maintain but eventually--it will cause problems. The obesity problem in America leads to a whole host of health concerns.... Being obese can take years off your life--literally--and cause you physical and emotional pain. It can make you less healthy, active, productive and sexy. And can lead to a less professionally and financially rewarding life. A list of things that being overweight contributes to: type 2 diabetes, increased risk for cancer, interferes with cancer treatment and can make recovery difficult, heart problems, joint problems, fertility and makes pregnancy riskier. Is that enough for you? Unfortunately, there is more...


I am concerned for our overweight children who will most likely only continue to get bigger as they get older because they have been taught all the wrong things--portion size, poor food choices, lack of exercise. As the problem increases, so does the burden of our already inadequate healthcare system. The system simply can not handle the steady rise of obesity related health care concerns. The sad thing is that most of it is self imposed. The good thing is that it can be prevented in the first place and can be turned around with some effort on our part.


Be mindful of what you do to your body--what you put in it, what you expose it to, the way you treat it. Start today making better food choices, start an exercise program and stick to it. You will reap the benefits of a longer, healthier life. Isn't that what you want? Live long, full, healthy lives.


Change your body, change your life!