We Are Eating Ourselves To Death
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Have we finally reached the point where we “as a society” can’t control our weight? The disturbing trends of overweight Americans is an epidemic now and there is no clear change in sight. Today’s people have gotten to the point where things are too convenient. Fast food, comfortable cars, video games, and remote controls have made our life so easy that we don’t do the things our parents and grand parents did in order to control weight gain.
I blame the start of this all on McDonalds as that was the first fast food franchise in America where you no longer had to dine inside and prices were affordable for everyone. The original hamburger was only 10 cents. This started a trend to eat more since the cost was so small that buying more than just one seemed like the thing to do. No one cared about transfat and cholesterol, just the taste of those fatty little burgers. They also started the trend to “drive-thru” so that you didn’t even have to get out of your car get your menu items.
Our parents and grandparents did things that are considered foolish for most now. Why walk to a local grocery store in town and get one bag of items when you can drive to a supermarket miles away and stock up for the week. Don’t get up and change the channel because a wireless remote can work from across the room. There’s no sense in taking an evening stroll because the next sitcom or reality moment is about to take place.
We forget that by creating all the conveniences of our present day we have removed the function of physical exertion. This was thought to be an annoyance that was overcome by invention after invention to make things “easy”. Well we got out easy and a whole lot more. The average American is either overweight or obese. Yep, you hear that right and in case it doesn’t sink in I’ll say it again. Over 50% of Americans are either overweight or obese. As a nation we are fat and as a nation we have developed problems that may never go away.
Fat, overweigh or obese people cost more at work from loss of productivity by more time off to deal with medical issues. They have become a huge part of the type II diabetes trend. The amount of heart attacks in overweight individuals triples when compared with those that are not. Respiratory problems, joint and orthopedic problems and a long list of medical issues are caused by eating too much.
The majority of America is running out of time and well on their way to eating themselves to death. As a Nation, we have to act to curb this activity or we are doomed. I’m not saying that lawmakers need to step in, but maybe there needs to be some thought on how to combat this problem. Social interaction is done on a computer now and not by engaging with your neighbor. We need a physical fitness plan that every American should follow and want to be part of. It’s time to get off the couch and be active again.
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Michelangelo’s David Today in America
I came across this picture that signifies with American’s are really doing with their bodies. This would be the modern day man if he was to live the lifestyle of the common person in the US. We are killing ourselves by actually overeating when we don’t need this much to exist. The person that is at a normal weight (based upon the BMI scale) needs about 2000 calories a day. Some of the fast food choices that people make exceed this total in one meal.
As you can see by this depiction, the body captures this excess intake by storing this as fat. The storage is waiting for the next time when it would be needed. Without exercise the storage increases more and more. The fat stored not only is in the obvious place such as belly, arms, legs and neck, but it also stores internally by LDL cholesterol that is carried in the blood. The greater the volume of cholesterol the greater the chance of arteries being surrounded by plaque and the greater the risk of a heart attack.
Now here’s the challenge for anyone that has taken on the look of David; start doing something about it today. Almost every physician will tell you that a correct diet and exercise plan can reverse years of problems. You can improve your risk of heart attack by just losing 10% of your body weight. Type II diabetes can be reversed to the point where you can be removed from medications if you lose enough and start to exercise. Almost ever fat related health factor can be changed with the right course of action.
Don’t just look at the picture and shrug and go on with your life as you’re really killing yourself earlier if you are living this lifestyle.
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Diet and Exercise
When hearing the words Diet and Exercise most of us give little or no real thought to it. A physician may say in order to prevent a hear attack, diabetes, cancer or a number of other diseases you need to have a better diet and exercise. You see all the weight loss wonder machines that are invented to work on thighs, hips, stomach and rear-end, but in the very fine print at the bottom of the ad there is a disclaimer “results vary with a correct diet and exercise. There are infomercials on the TV daily, but most likely in the early morning hours of a Saturday you’ll see all sorts of beautiful people working out but they didn’t get to their “after” picture without a good diet and exercise plan.
What does this mean to the average person in America? Well the average is now in the overweight or obese category and is more susceptible to medical problems based upon their current diet and exercise. You see everyone does have a diet; it’s just what food source you put in your body. Some people have a good diet which consists of lower calorie, high fiber and a reduction of red meat. Most however eat way more food than the body needs, and because their metabolism slows down with age, it stores that extra food as fat. This would be considered a bad diet.
Exercise is also a factor in everyone’s life since just the fact of getting up out of bed, or the recliner, or the couch takes some exertion that actually burns some calories. You even are using up calories while you are asleep. Now those that get their exercise walking to and from the fridge on commercials are not doing themselves any favors and this would be considered having a poor, or no exercise plan. If you’re hitting the treadmill 5 times a week of 30 minutes a clip, you have a good exercise program and one that can help you stave off the medical problems I spoke about.
If you are in the category of a bad diet and a no exercise routine, you’re destined to become overweight (if you’re not already) and open your self up for large medical problems later on in life. Those that have a good diet and bad exercise plan may be able to hold off any problems, but the overwhelming evidence of medical research shows that diet alone is not a complete healthy picture. You need to get some aerobic activity in order to correct and possibly reverse any medical problems you may have in your future. Those that have a bad diet but an excellent exercise plan may be a few weeks away from problems if the exercise is ever stopped.
The whole intent of this post is to show you that there is a correlation between diet and exercise and it’s not just a few words that you’ve heard before but a call to action. A real diet and exercise plan has the effect of changing your life for the better.
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