https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/effects/index.html
The Dangers of Obesity
When I was at Quinnipiac, there were two separate years that a friend and colleague from Belarus was a visiting professor. He came for a semester each time, and I went to Belarus for a week afterward - each time. (I said - he knew English and thus could come for a semester, and I knew no Russian and thus could only stay a week).
My friend was a good visitor. Growing up, there was a concept of the “Ugly American” - an American abroad - who didn’t know the country’s history, language, people, culture and (worse) didn’t care!! My friend was not that way. He wanted to learn about the United States and the programs he was on (Regional Scholar Exchange Program, and Fulbright Program) wanted to build rapport among people.
It took several months the first time he visited (in 2003) to become friends and for him to be at peace when talking to me. He didn’t want to step on any toes. But, finally, he said to me “There seem to be a lot of fat people in the United States.” (He was right).
After that first visit, I visited Minsk, Belarus, and noticed the notable lack of fat people (although there were some). My friend and I talked about it. Americans have cars and drive everywhere - and then we want the closest parking place when we get there!!! (So, I can drive to the Georgetown Recreation Center, then try to get the best parking place, before I walk five miles!!!)
He also noticed that we also have too many other ‘labor-saving’ devices. We noticed the physical plant mowing the grass at Quinnipiac - using a tractor. There were people using riding mowers to mow their yards. (Kind of “Hey, get this done faster, so I can put my feet up and relax in front of the TV). The second time I went to Belarus, I watched a ground crew mow the grass in a park - with old push mowers (the non-powered mowers my grandfather had). I even saw a group plowing the land with a horse!!! Maybe this was a way to keep people employed. I was thinking - ‘you know if you had a riding mower, you could get this done so much quicker and move on to other parks and areas - but a crew of four people mowing with push mowers kept the crew employed and with income.
There were other jobs in Belarus that I thought ‘that could be automated’ - but it used physical labor.
Cars were relatively few in Belarus - and people walked. There were buses that always seemed to be full. In Minsk, there was a subway that always seemed to be full - and on the sidewalks, all kinds of people - walking. And, unlike America and Americans, the great majority of people lived in (ugly, Soviet-style) apartment buildings. I like walking - I try to get 5 miles (or 10,000 steps) every day - and some days I make it and some days not!!!
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Let’s do some research here: (from the CDC - Center for Disease Control and Prevention)
“People who have obesity, compared to those with a normal or healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including the following:
(all quoted from CDC)
“All-causes of death (mortality)
High blood pressure (Hypertension)
High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (Dyslipidemia)
Type 2 diabetes
Coronary heart disease
Stroke
Gallbladder disease
Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint)
Sleep apnea and breathing problems
Many types of cancer
Low quality of life
Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders
Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning”
Another source says “More than one-third of adults in the United States are obese. In the United States, 36.5 percent of adults are obese. Another 32.5 percent of American adults are overweight. In all, more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese.”https://www.healthline.com/health/obesity-facts/
TWO-THIRDS OF ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE? Did you read that? TWO-THIRDS!!! (And, I am one of those - in the overweight category). So, what am I doing today? Oh, I’m making a cherry cheesecake - with sugar, cream cheese, and not probably on a list of nutrition things. (By-the-way, nutrition was yesterday as I made bean soup!! But the day before that I made luscious butterscotch bars). So, I’m part of the problem too!!!
That same source said “Obesity costs Americans $147 billion each year. People who are obese pay more out of pocket than people who are not. In fact, the medical costs for people with obesity are $1,429 higher each year than those of people with a normal weight.”
So, not only are we as a nation overweight, but it costs us more - and may (probably) lead to health issues.
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“The good news is obesity is largely preventable. A healthy diet and regular exercise can go a long way to help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Otherwise, the realities of carrying around excess weight can start to creep up on you and take their toll.” (Healthline article)
I have a friend (VK) who is very active, but recently decided she had added a few too-many pounds during COVID isolation. She is cutting out white flour, and sugar from her diet and has lost about 8 pounds (in her most recent Facebook post).
*****
Yes, I am retired, yes, I have time to exercise (some days I get in as much as 2 to 3 hours). When I was teaching I tried to get half-an-hour - but I was more active in the classroom. Now, when I’m not exercising, I’m probably sitting at my computer (writing blog posts), or in my favorite recliner - playing games and napping. Find a way to get some exercise. Maybe you can park your car farther away from your worksite - so you have a few more steps. I use the step counter on my iPhone (built-in health app), to keep track. To make the exercise palpable, I listen to audiobooks, podcasts, or music.
YOU CAN DO IT - find ways to avoid the overweight / obese problem in your life!!! (That is a challenge from me to you!!)
LOVE WINS!!!
HUGS!!
Karen
This is such a great reminder that I need to get moving again!!! Especially after all of my back issues - SMH Paula :)
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