Lap bands, gastric bypass, liposuction, various pills and rubs are available to help shed those unwanted pounds! Have we created a monster with our insatiable taste for transfat, carbs and sugar?
One wise local restaurant employee pointedly told me recently, “If you don't like me the way I am then you can ...” (fill in the blank!)
I thought that to be an apt response considering the profuse commentary on the obesity problem in America. I recently heard we are also the leading nation in the world with obese dogs as our companions.
Is this just some abnormal phenomenon or are we really facing an “epidemic” as the Surgeon General warned us some time back?
I am in favor of enjoying whatever delectables suit your fancy. The question is: “How much is too much?”
I do not appreciate anyone commenting on my personal body image, as I am happy with whom I am as I am. I am certainty tired of being lectured to about my food choices, but we must face facts. The stats are in and we have indeed gained more than a few pounds in our relatively newfound revelry of salivating food choices readily available in our society.
The question becomes one of “personal responsibility.”
I am in favor of complete control of the choice to put whatever we choose into our bodies and hopefully, those will be sound decisions based on educational information currently available to us.
I do not want the government to legislate how many tacos I can eat or whether I am afforded an opportunity to woof down as many of those Krispy Kreme donuts as I can ingest in one sitting.
Moderation is the key! Personal responsibility means just that. We will face the consequences of our actions. In exchange for free choices, we must also assume all responsibility for any health issues that may arise from our occasional overindulgences or unbalanced diets.
The taxpayers certainly do not want to pay the skyrocketing health care costs if you do not have “obesity coverage” or personal assets to pay for the coronary bypasses, life long type 2 diabetes management, and a varied list of other associated health conditions that may accompany our gluttony.
I think it is a fair trade off, do what you like; but, accept personal responsibility for your choices.
Don't forget exercise plays a vital role in the checks and balances of calorie intake versus calorie burn! What are our children doing to burn those calories and stimulate muscle coordination? Have our school systems offered enough opportunities to run off excess energy during the sedentary school day vigorously studying for those “No Child Left Behind” exams?
Where are the on campus extra-curricular intramural sports that I remember growing up with? What about an after-school yoga program? Any volunteers willing to step up to the plate and donate some time to supervise these activities?
The presidential physical fitness award was something as students (back in the day!) we all strived to achieve and we worked hard at those required number of pull-ups!
Yipes! I just strained myself thinking about it!
The message we send to our children about personal responsibility for their own health through food choices should, in my opinion, start as early as they open their little mouths and insert anything they consider “edible.”
I have never encountered a 2 year old who hasn't possessed boundless energy for exercise at that age. It is what comes later that concerns me.
The revolution of technological gadgetry is kidnapping our young children and teens and rapidly turning them into lifeless statutes staring at screens and moving their thumbs rapidly!
It is always our choice and certainly should be. No one wants another lecture.
Bezanson may be contacted by emailing columnist@coastalcourier.com
One wise local restaurant employee pointedly told me recently, “If you don't like me the way I am then you can ...” (fill in the blank!)
I thought that to be an apt response considering the profuse commentary on the obesity problem in America. I recently heard we are also the leading nation in the world with obese dogs as our companions.
Is this just some abnormal phenomenon or are we really facing an “epidemic” as the Surgeon General warned us some time back?
I am in favor of enjoying whatever delectables suit your fancy. The question is: “How much is too much?”
I do not appreciate anyone commenting on my personal body image, as I am happy with whom I am as I am. I am certainty tired of being lectured to about my food choices, but we must face facts. The stats are in and we have indeed gained more than a few pounds in our relatively newfound revelry of salivating food choices readily available in our society.
The question becomes one of “personal responsibility.”
I am in favor of complete control of the choice to put whatever we choose into our bodies and hopefully, those will be sound decisions based on educational information currently available to us.
I do not want the government to legislate how many tacos I can eat or whether I am afforded an opportunity to woof down as many of those Krispy Kreme donuts as I can ingest in one sitting.
Moderation is the key! Personal responsibility means just that. We will face the consequences of our actions. In exchange for free choices, we must also assume all responsibility for any health issues that may arise from our occasional overindulgences or unbalanced diets.
The taxpayers certainly do not want to pay the skyrocketing health care costs if you do not have “obesity coverage” or personal assets to pay for the coronary bypasses, life long type 2 diabetes management, and a varied list of other associated health conditions that may accompany our gluttony.
I think it is a fair trade off, do what you like; but, accept personal responsibility for your choices.
Don't forget exercise plays a vital role in the checks and balances of calorie intake versus calorie burn! What are our children doing to burn those calories and stimulate muscle coordination? Have our school systems offered enough opportunities to run off excess energy during the sedentary school day vigorously studying for those “No Child Left Behind” exams?
Where are the on campus extra-curricular intramural sports that I remember growing up with? What about an after-school yoga program? Any volunteers willing to step up to the plate and donate some time to supervise these activities?
The presidential physical fitness award was something as students (back in the day!) we all strived to achieve and we worked hard at those required number of pull-ups!
Yipes! I just strained myself thinking about it!
The message we send to our children about personal responsibility for their own health through food choices should, in my opinion, start as early as they open their little mouths and insert anything they consider “edible.”
I have never encountered a 2 year old who hasn't possessed boundless energy for exercise at that age. It is what comes later that concerns me.
The revolution of technological gadgetry is kidnapping our young children and teens and rapidly turning them into lifeless statutes staring at screens and moving their thumbs rapidly!
It is always our choice and certainly should be. No one wants another lecture.
Bezanson may be contacted by emailing columnist@coastalcourier.com