I had the good fortune to finally see a good friend today who I hadn't seen since September '08. His name is Dave . . . He's a very busy guy, working in the financial industry . . . Dave had fallen off the map in a sense due to family and business pressures . . .
When Dave walked into the room, I honestly did not know who he was for a few seconds, until he smiled . . . Ol' Dave has lost 40 plus pounds, and looks the picture of good health . . . lean and mean and ready to go a few rounds . . .
Seeing the new, improved physical specimen that is Dave reminded me once again of how much North American society generally neglects the state of its physical health and well-being. Not that the physical is the only thing . . . It certainly isn't, as we can't forget the emotional and spiritual aspects of existence! But, this blog is dedicated foremost to the PHYSICAL, and the sad state of such on this continent . . .
Something put out by the AMA a few months ago stated that among the adult population of the USA, 34% are now obese and 33% are overweight . . . Anyone who has walked through a mall recently with eyes open will have no trouble believing those stats . . . It`s atrocious what`s happening to us, or should we say, what we`re ALLOWING to happen to us . . .
We eat and eat and eat and for what? We pack on excess adipose tissue, and for what? It defies all logic!
Imagine this conversation . . .
Q. Tell me Sir/Madam, what do you aspire to in life?
A. Hmmm . . . I'll have to think! Well, lets see . . . In a few years or decades, I'd really like to be treated for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, adult onset diabetes . . . and if I could have bypass surgery, that would be wonderful! And maybe have a joint or two replaced with some high quality, high tech stuff because of all the extra wear and tear of lugging around far more pounds than I really should. . . THAT would be TOO cool! And the ultimate would be to spend the last ten years of my life feeling incredibly crappy . . . YEAH! That's how I hope it all plays out . . .
Q. Sounds like you know the goals! Great! What's your plan to achieve them?
A. It's easy . . . I'll just continue doing what I'm doing now! Overeat, rarely exercise, sit on my butt as much as I possibly can . . . I have the PERFECT lifestyle to achieve my goals! It's so EASY!!
Of course this is an absurd conversation that would never occur, BUT . . . It seems that if these WERE the goals for the majority of North American adults, they'd be well on their way to achieving them, doing just exactly what they ARE doing everyday . . .
A month ago, I sat in a mall near an entrance, and decided to take a close look at the people leaving and entering . . . The first twenty people I saw were either overweight or obese, and this included children! The first person I saw entering or leaving who was a healthy body weight for the frame was a woman of about 40 who clearly appeared to value her physical being . . . She was #21 . . . I have no doubt she's an active individual who watches what she puts in her body to at least some extent . . .
Warm weather is coming on, and it's the perfect time to think seriously about turning over a new leaf . . . It's amazing how an improvement to our physical health has such tremendous spillover effects on our emotional and spiritual well-being . . . Now is the time to get active and examine our food intake . . . Cut out the crap and see and feel the improvement week by week!
And lets not forget one very important thing . . . Since nobody likes high taxes and medical insurance premiums, an investment in personal health will help reduce those taxes and premiums, since health cares costs are going through the roof at least in part because we've become so fat and lazy as a culture . . . And perhaps down the line, we personally will avoid some expensive prescription drugs, or surgeries, and so on . . . One can only hope!
Thanks Dave!!
Until next time . . . Ciao!!
When Dave walked into the room, I honestly did not know who he was for a few seconds, until he smiled . . . Ol' Dave has lost 40 plus pounds, and looks the picture of good health . . . lean and mean and ready to go a few rounds . . .
Seeing the new, improved physical specimen that is Dave reminded me once again of how much North American society generally neglects the state of its physical health and well-being. Not that the physical is the only thing . . . It certainly isn't, as we can't forget the emotional and spiritual aspects of existence! But, this blog is dedicated foremost to the PHYSICAL, and the sad state of such on this continent . . .
Something put out by the AMA a few months ago stated that among the adult population of the USA, 34% are now obese and 33% are overweight . . . Anyone who has walked through a mall recently with eyes open will have no trouble believing those stats . . . It`s atrocious what`s happening to us, or should we say, what we`re ALLOWING to happen to us . . .
We eat and eat and eat and for what? We pack on excess adipose tissue, and for what? It defies all logic!
Imagine this conversation . . .
Q. Tell me Sir/Madam, what do you aspire to in life?
A. Hmmm . . . I'll have to think! Well, lets see . . . In a few years or decades, I'd really like to be treated for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, adult onset diabetes . . . and if I could have bypass surgery, that would be wonderful! And maybe have a joint or two replaced with some high quality, high tech stuff because of all the extra wear and tear of lugging around far more pounds than I really should. . . THAT would be TOO cool! And the ultimate would be to spend the last ten years of my life feeling incredibly crappy . . . YEAH! That's how I hope it all plays out . . .
Q. Sounds like you know the goals! Great! What's your plan to achieve them?
A. It's easy . . . I'll just continue doing what I'm doing now! Overeat, rarely exercise, sit on my butt as much as I possibly can . . . I have the PERFECT lifestyle to achieve my goals! It's so EASY!!
Of course this is an absurd conversation that would never occur, BUT . . . It seems that if these WERE the goals for the majority of North American adults, they'd be well on their way to achieving them, doing just exactly what they ARE doing everyday . . .
A month ago, I sat in a mall near an entrance, and decided to take a close look at the people leaving and entering . . . The first twenty people I saw were either overweight or obese, and this included children! The first person I saw entering or leaving who was a healthy body weight for the frame was a woman of about 40 who clearly appeared to value her physical being . . . She was #21 . . . I have no doubt she's an active individual who watches what she puts in her body to at least some extent . . .
Warm weather is coming on, and it's the perfect time to think seriously about turning over a new leaf . . . It's amazing how an improvement to our physical health has such tremendous spillover effects on our emotional and spiritual well-being . . . Now is the time to get active and examine our food intake . . . Cut out the crap and see and feel the improvement week by week!
And lets not forget one very important thing . . . Since nobody likes high taxes and medical insurance premiums, an investment in personal health will help reduce those taxes and premiums, since health cares costs are going through the roof at least in part because we've become so fat and lazy as a culture . . . And perhaps down the line, we personally will avoid some expensive prescription drugs, or surgeries, and so on . . . One can only hope!
Thanks Dave!!
Until next time . . . Ciao!!
