Strange Creatures

     I came from my workout session this morning with some interesting thoughts about us Americans!  We are a really strange bunch of people.  We strive to obtain that “perfect” body look while the majority of us act in the direct opposite of our intentions.

     We will spend 30 minutes to an hour in the Wal-Mart parking lot trying to find the closest parking spot to the store so we can walk in to buy an exercise bike or some other piece of workout equipment.  Can you explain that?

     However, the true picture seems to be a startling sight for most people.  According to the statistics for the United States on obesitynewstoday.com “According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), 69% of the adult American population is either overweight or obese, and over 35% is obese, which means approximately 79 million people. In addition, one in every 20 adults are considered extremely obese. The incidence is higher among adults, but childhood obesity is also concerning.  Since children grow at different paces, diagnosing the disease may be difficult, but it is estimated that one third of children and adolescents between 6 and 19 are overweight or obese and over one in every six of the same age are obese.”

     That’s an incredible stat, but it seems that we continue to “up size” our food orders no matter what it may be costing us regarding our health.  This is not always the money issue but includes our day to day functioning in life.  The sahrecare.com information states: “Obesity isn't just a cosmetic concern; it increases your risk for diseases and health problems. Some of those problems include the following:

• type 2 diabetes
• high triglycerides and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• heart disease
• stroke
• cancer
• breathing disorders, including sleep apnea
• gallbladder disease
• gynecological problems, such as infertility and irregular periods
• erectile dysfunction and sexual health issues
• nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• osteoarthritis

     We are constantly hearing: eat healthy, get plenty of fluids, exercise, and watch your sleeping habits.  However, most people either don’t truly listen to these recommendations or they don’t know how to put the recommendations into practice.  Worse yet, they may simply not care!

     We are strange creatures indeed!  We admire and venerate the healthy, athletic body but we can’t seem to motivate ourselves to strive to be that body!

QUOTE TO CONSIDER

THOUGHTFUL GEM

"Is life without good health really LIFE?"