Sunday, October 10, 2004
Heavy Excuses
Seems like most of us have lots of excuses for being overweight. With me it was job stress and no time to exercise. (Yes, I KNOW that is very feeble.)
For most of us, scientists say, it is "normal" to accumulate extra pounds as we move beyond middle age. I don't think we should use that as an excuse to lay it on (although, I did for several years.
What I find so disturbing is the number of kids and young people who appear grossly overweight and COMPLACENT about it. Females like to throw up a smokescreen about their "unique" problems with food and weight gain. I am certain that it is a much more basic issue: gluttony!
I know exactly how tantalizing junk food can be. Its siren song has lured me to the dangerous reefs many times. It takes dedication, a bit of knowledge and activity to get weight off and keep it off.
The huge numbers of huge youth are going to add things to our future demographics that we have never had to deal with before, and that is the thrust of this piece. When you are too fat at 10 or 20 or 30 to be a healthy, productive member of society, then you are a liability. Type II Diabetes can, absolutely, be prevented and/or reversed through diet and exercise. These efforts must be deliberate and continuous.
For most obese folks it's all about losing the battle of delayed gratification. I can be callous enough to say that I wouldn't care if they were only hurting themselves, but their imperfections attack our wallets in many negative ways. Their lives would be immeasurably better if they would do what it takes to solve their problems, but the important thing for me is that my life would be better too.
For most of us, scientists say, it is "normal" to accumulate extra pounds as we move beyond middle age. I don't think we should use that as an excuse to lay it on (although, I did for several years.
What I find so disturbing is the number of kids and young people who appear grossly overweight and COMPLACENT about it. Females like to throw up a smokescreen about their "unique" problems with food and weight gain. I am certain that it is a much more basic issue: gluttony!
I know exactly how tantalizing junk food can be. Its siren song has lured me to the dangerous reefs many times. It takes dedication, a bit of knowledge and activity to get weight off and keep it off.
The huge numbers of huge youth are going to add things to our future demographics that we have never had to deal with before, and that is the thrust of this piece. When you are too fat at 10 or 20 or 30 to be a healthy, productive member of society, then you are a liability. Type II Diabetes can, absolutely, be prevented and/or reversed through diet and exercise. These efforts must be deliberate and continuous.
For most obese folks it's all about losing the battle of delayed gratification. I can be callous enough to say that I wouldn't care if they were only hurting themselves, but their imperfections attack our wallets in many negative ways. Their lives would be immeasurably better if they would do what it takes to solve their problems, but the important thing for me is that my life would be better too.
