We're Too Fat!

We're Too Fat! Americans are too fat! And we're getting fatter! Does the headline shock you? Does it make you angry? Well it should. We're being lied to, manipulated and marketed literally to death. And very few of us are investing the time or the energy to learn why it's happening and how to resolve the issue. Not only that we're hiding from the problem. We convince ourselves that "yeah, I'm overweight, but I'm healthy". That my friends is an illusion. An Associated Press article from our local newspaper on January 11th, details a study done by Northwestern University of 17,643 patients over 3 decades. The study found that being overweight in mid-life substantially increased the risk of dying from heart disease later- even in people who began the study with healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The takeaway from the study is that "middle aged people who are overweight, but have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels are kidding themselves if they think their health is just fine." I also read an article in our local paper that said over 2 in 5 teenagers is unable to pass a low level physical fitness test. What that tells me is the problem is getting worse and at a younger age. My only question is when is enough, enough?? When is the average American going to accept the fact that he or she is responsible for their own health and wellness? I read in a book by Dr. Paul Zane Pilzer that obesity in America is an economic problem. He states that "only in western countries are poor people fat." There are probably numerous reasons for this but I attribute it to two things; 1. Lower income families are more reliant on high fat, high sodium processed foods. 2. Lower income families are less likely to invest time and money into education on things like nutrition, exercise and fitness. That being said, what about the great middle class? Folks in this category have options. They have at least some disposable income, they have access to the information, and most if not all have the education to read and understand it. The question is then do they have the commitment? In beginning my on-line company I have taken numerous courses, and several have been in copy writing. Copy writing is learning to write ad's to sell my products and services. The thing that I've heard over and over is "people will not spend one dime on prevention but they will gladly spend money on a cure." That just seems backwards to me. This is what the $35 billion dollar diet industry has learned and why the continue to offer miracle cures for obesity, fitness, and wellness. How many ad's have you seen in recent years that end with the statement, "It's EASY, you'll love it"? They sell things that way because that's what we want to hear. If it was easy and if the miracle cures worked obesity would not have increased by 20% over the last ten years. We all owe it to ourselves and to our loved ones to be the best we can be. To do that we must take the time and make the commitment to learn what works and what doesn't in the areas of fitness and weight control. We all make choices each and every day. The choices we make today in regards to health and wellness can impact us for years to come. We're living longer today, but the question is what are you doing to insure your quality of life? People form habits, and habits form futures. What future are you forming? ----------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- Martin Harshberger is the author of several books on wellness and nutrition. He is a certified personal trainer and a certified sports nutritionalist. We invite you to visit our website at Living to be Younger and sign up for our FREE 5 day mini-course on Looking Better and Feeling Younger. Learn how to become fit and insure your quality of life.