Big Brother To The Rescue
America’s obesity pandemic has caught the attention of the HHS
It’s official: we’re fat. Children, teens, and adults alike.
While this is hardly news, the fact the the Department of Health and Human Services creating federal guidelines for our physical activity most certainly is.
This just in from the AP:
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced today the members of the advisory committee that will make recommendations pertaining to the development of the first federal guidelines to focus on physical activity.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans is to be issued in late 2008. The report will provide science-based recommendations on the latest knowledge about activity and health, with depth and flexibility to target specific population subgroups, such as seniors, children, and persons with disabilities. Secretary Leavitt announced the initiative in October.
Allow me to wax philosophic for a moment.
Despite the fact that America is the land of the free, there may come a time in the near future where food, much like alcohol, is legislated by law.
Think about it. The only reason alcohol and drugs are either controlled by abuse laws or flat-out against the law is, supposedly, for our safety.
Yet the obesity pandemic makes our alcohol and drug-related problems seem trivial. It is literally taking and threatening more lives every year than alcohol and drugs combined times a factor of near infinity. Food has become far more dangerous these days than hard liquor and black tar heroin, numerically speaking.
As Barry Sears says, “Food is the most powerful drug of all.” Unless you and I and everyone we know begins to realize this fact and treat food like a drug, it may very well be handled as a drug in the future.
Is it possible that too many doughnuts could one day be illegal? Or, perhaps blood sugar monitored like blood alcohol levels after leaving a fast food restaurant? Scary thought, isn’t it?
I’m no more in favor of this than I am in favor of ignoring obesity and hoping it will go away. However, I truly can see this being a very real possibility if Americans keep turning their backs on the problem. The eventual collapse of our health care system will be sufficient reason for the government to step in with more serious things than suggestions. Indeed, laws may be the only thing that keeps little Junior away from the sugar cereals and steer Aunt Edna clear of the second helping of pecan pie.
How Bad Is It?
Try this fact on for size. For the first time in history, the life expectancy of teenagers is less than that of their parents. Why? See the aforementioned obesity pandemic.
These are not scare tactics. These are facts that are rapidly transforming our nation into a third world country when it comes to the health of our children.
If you want to do something about it before Big Brother steps in, I highly suggest you start by setting the example at the dinner table and with your activity level. The folks in Fit Over 40 are great examples of how you can work fitness into your life and the lives of your family members.
Give it a read. If ever our nation could use more role models over 40, it’s now.
[jB]
Archived in Fit Over 40, Motivation, Nutrition.
This entry is tagged: exercise, Fit Over 40, obesity
Comments (5)
Kat said:
Outlawing big mac’s wouldn’t be so tragic, would it?? ;) , i do think outlawing certain chemicals added to food would be a step in the right direction…do you ever watch Jamie Oliver and his program where he is trying so hard to change school lunch menu’s? seems such a simple thing, feed them better food, yet he is met with resistance from all ends… It is pretty sad what we feed not just ourselves, but our own children…sad because eating real good clean food makes for a cleaner, stronger body which in turn makes for a cleaner stronger brain…kids today come to school whacked out on sugar before the eight AM bell rings, the solution they come up with is drugs, the child has a disease, he needs ritalin… how bout some real fruit to eat instead of some gooey sugary leather strip claiming to have 2 percent REAL juice inside…i have 5 kids, feeding them has been more than a challenge, cooking takes effort, energy and planning, and i involved them in it, they peeled vegetables, they chopped onions, they all knew how to mince garlic like a pro by the age of six, lol …they also walked to school, something that is a lost art now a days, they were safe because i walked with them…nobody has time anymore, everyone is in one big rush, and i personally know some kids that have never walked one consecutive mile in their life…
don’t leave this in the government’s hands folks, they will only screw things up worse, if you have kids, or know a child, go play with them today, take them for a walk, try rollerblading, go swimming, toss a ball around…
Posted on May 11, 2007 12:31 PM
Barb said:
It is not just the people themselves that suffer from obesity. My first year of nursing school (when I was still softspoken and shy) I answered a call bell to help out a busy nurse. The patient weighed 300 + and had slid down in the bed. She asked me to assist her nephew in pulling her up. I was in a rush and didn’t follow the correct guidlines. It has been 3 years and I still suffer pain in my right shoulder, yep rotator cuff injury ;(. Anyway, nowadays, I would put the bed down flat (most uncomfortable position for the very obese, hard to breath) then get at least 3 other nurses and on the count of three lift together! The truley gross news is, people get so large, they can’t even clean themselves properly and that leads to a mess of wounds, infections and other problems. Hospitals are not even equiped with the very large wheelchairs that are now needed as well as beds to accomodate these obese sick people.
It is all very sad. I am doing my best to set a good example and teach anyone who will listen about eating healthy and getting fit :)
Barb
Posted on May 11, 2007 08:45 PM
Sharon said:
The government and corporations already do control what we the poor eat to a certain extent. On NPR radio, a discussion on vouchers for the poor demonstrates this on a small scale. As of late, the Dietary guidelines have changed to include more fruits and veggies. The problem occurs with the Dairy industry refusing to allow the government to substitute the milk and egg vouchers with fruit and veggie vouchers.
The reasoning behind this atrocity is because the Dairy industry knows when the poor no longer receive the vouchers; they will continue to purchase the milk and eggs. Giving the poor vouchers for fruits and veggies will cut into their habit of dairy products. It is a fact that the poor will continue their eating habits based on these government vouchers and that is why the Dairy industry is up in arms. I suppose the Dairy industry has lots of clout with the government.
Posted on May 11, 2007 10:58 PM
Sharon said:
Jon,
I did not get to edit my post! I thought I could preview and edit but that is not the case on your forum. No, I don’t receive government vouchers! On the other hand, Dairy products are healthy if one is not allergic to them. At least there are not any vouchers for cookies and candy that I know of. For myself, I have cut way back on the dairy products.
Posted on May 11, 2007 11:07 PM
Dave said:
Jon -
It is a sad day when the government has to decide for us what is healthy because people choose to ignore the facts about nutrition and make these decisions ourselves. Being a fitness professional myself, it is a struggle to get clients the importance of proper nutrition.
The guidelines are a start, but having the government telling me what I need to eat is to far. When will we as Americans start taking personal accountability for our own actions? Recently “scientist” found a “fat” gene that may predispose certain people to obesity. While that is certainly true, how many people are going to use that as an excuse when they fall off the diet and exercise wagon?
We live in a society where if something is wrong with us, we take a pill and expect it to “fix” us. As I have mentioned before, where is the personal accountability?
Posted on Oct 18, 2007 12:02 PM