It appears that society has turned a blind eye (albeit the constant barrage of publicity that's thrown out there by the media) to the crisis we're experiencing in America. Obesity is the fastest growing disease and the second leading preventable cause of death in our country, second only to tobacco use. I'm not sure if it's a societal epidemic we're dealing with, but it seems people don't want to realize that you have to live with your body for the rest of your life. With advancements in medicine, plastic surgery and the "smoke and mirrors" effects of makeup, hairdos and fashion, we don't have to take good care of ourselves because you can look as good your wallet will let you. Sounds like I'm talking to a kindergartner, but seriously! Look around! Every facet of our lives displays the effects of poor lifestyle choices….most of those choices of which are put up on a pedestal as great escapes from worry and stress; eating out, smoking, drinking, drugs and the list goes on. Obesity affects our coworkers, families, friends, 
teammates, congregations; really just about every group we're related to or around. So why have we turned a blind eye to it? Is it because we're afraid to hurt some one's feelings? Is it because we like to ignore our problems? Are we afraid of looking good and feeling good? Does the temporary gratification from the previously mentioned vices give us so much pleasure as to sacrifice chronological and quality years from our lives? Granted, I'm not the poster child. So who am I to judge? Do I slip up? Yes. Am I human? Yes. But I refuse to allow myself to fall off a cliff into a sea of bad habits. I realize my one shot at life is within the confines of the body that God gave me. Why not take care of it as best as I can? We pay crazy amounts on insurance for every possession we own including our lives. Why not try to drop some of the bad lifestyle choices, pick up a few good ones and invest in the greatest asset we were blessed with at our consummation…life.
Percentage of the US population classified as obese according to the CDC, as of April 17, 2007.
31.0-34.0%
28.0-30.9%
25.0-27.9%
22.0-24.9%
19.0-21.9%
2 comments:
Great post!!! I agree living the "perfect" life is hardly possible, but everyone should strive to make the best decisions they can regarding the body, mind, and soul. Unfortunately that is hardly the case.
Thanks bro! I've had several conversations recently that prompted me to get that off my chest. Might be a bit harsh, but it feels good to get it out there nonetheless.
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