News flash: "We," as a country, are getting fatter.
And surprisingly, this surprises me. I would have thought that over the last several years people would have smartened up. Reports (and common sense, if you have it) have consistently shown the dangers of being overweight or obese. Cancer, diabetes, heart disease.... death. And that's not to mention the cost of health care, prescription medication, etc., etc., etc.
I can't say that I've had any experience with being obese, nor any experience with cancer, diabetes, heart disease or death. What I would say, though, is that as a teenager I was overweight. And as a teenager I hated that feeling. I didn't like not being able to buy the clothes I wanted because they didn't fit me right. I didn't like pretending to have my period so I didn't have to put on a bathing suit during that one week in high school when we had to swim. I hated being uncomfortable in my own skin.
As I have gotten older I have realized that there's more to life than being able to put on a two-piece bathing suit and hop in the pool in front of a bunch of guys. Marrying my husband and having my children have made me realize there is more to health and fitness than just looking good.
Don't get me wrong, I want to look good. I want to look the best I can. I want to be able to put on my bikinis from before having my two daughters and to wear sleeveless shirts because my arms look jacked. But at the same time I want to be the best I can be. I want to be the best wife, the best mother, the best person I can be. And I can't be the best at anything if I'm obese, diabetic or dead.
That's what surprises me. Don't people realize that in order to live the best life possible, they have to take care of themselves? You might not like moving your fat butt, sometimes I don't, but you have to in order to keep your heart healthy. You might not like eating salads and fish and chicken and berries and so on, but you should if you want to stay lean.
There are so many things in life that we cannot control. But what we can control is what food goes into our bodies, how much exercise we get and whether or not we continue trending upward when it comes to obesity statistics.
The taste of food lasts only a few seconds. The pain of a workout lasts only the length of that workout, the soreness maybe a day or two longer. But life is forever. Take care of it now, because if you don't, you may not get another tomorrow.
