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Warning, the following commentary is brought to you by yours truly standing on a big ass soap box. If for some reason you are offended, I'm not sorry. You've been warned.
In case you just woke up from a coma, you're probably quite aware that our country is fat. And not a little pudgy, not thick, not big boned, not "big and beautiful", but ORCA FAT, to the tune of $18 billion spent annually on obesity related PREVENTABLE diseases. ***On a side note, I'm all for people feeling good about themselves and being comfortable in their bodies, but if you are obese, you're unhealthy. Period!!*** But I digress...not only are we fat, but we're raising a generation of fat, lazy kids who are developing health issues previously relegated to adults. Childhood obesity and diabetes are constantly rising with 17% of children 2-19 currently obese, almost triple the rate from 1980 (CDC). And I don't want to hear the bs excuse that "wah wah, it costs too much to eat healthy!!" I see the lines at McDonalds, Chickfila, Burger King, etc... and to me it's just shear laziness and poor planning. I didn't say it was easy, but I fed myself and my two boys tonight a nutritious meal, that filled us all up, and cost about $6 TOTAL!! Too expensive...I don't think so.
But here's what IS astronomically expensive. A recent study projected obesity rates and related costs in the year 2030. Here are some of the highlights:
-$48-66 billion increase in annual medical cost of treatment for preventable obesity related diseases
-$500 billion in lost economic productivity annually
-6 million new cases of diabetes -5 million cases of heart disease & stroke
-All 50 states with at least 44% obesity rate, not just overweight, but OBESE; 39 states over 50%; and 13 states over 60%
So let me get this straight...millions clamor for "free" healthcare, yet can't stop shoving crap in their mouth or move their XXL rear from the couch to actually get healthier?? And then they want someone else to pay for it?!?! Huh...who actually thinks that makes any sense? One out of every 8 deaths in the U.S. can now be linked to obesity, which in case you haven't been paying attention, is in most cases preventable!!
Most of you know I'm a very positive person the majority of the time, so here's the light at the end of the tunnel. Research shows that if our obese/overweight population lost on average 10lbs, it would drastically reduce the economic impact, and possibly prevent millions of people from developing obesity related diseases. TEN FRIGGIN POUNDS!! That's not ordering dinner through the clown's mouth just one less time a week. That's passing on dessert just sometimes. That's putting the brakes on your Sunday afternoon Golden Corral extravaganza. Better yet, that's getting up and MOVING. Go for a walk just a few times a week. Take the stairs every now and then. Don't circle around the Walmart parking lot for 10 minutes trying to find a good space when you can park in the back of the lot and WALK a few extra feet. Seriously, it doesn't have to be complicated, but there does need to be effort.
Finally, what it boils down to is this. There's this concept called personal responsibility that seems to be quite unpopular these days. The president this, my boss that, my job is stressful, I don't have time, blah blah blah. Nothing will change your current condition except YOU. Our beautiful nation has not become Free Willy big from being force fed, we got big because we can't put down the damn fork and spoon and get up to move every now and then. This is an epidemic, and if people don't start putting on their big boy draws and taking the onus on themselves to change, it could very well be our downfall.
Will you let the light at the end of the tunnel be your guiding light of hope and renewal, or sit idly and let it be the headlight of a freight train to finish you off?
I'm THE Fitness Ninja, and I approve this message.
THE Fitness Ninja...changing the world one pushup at a time.
