Due to my obsessive compulsive behavior regarding health and fitness, I re-watched this week’s episode of BL, yesterday. I wanted to get to know the contestants a little better. I definitely made an error in my blog when I stated that the expression “do work,” came from someone who passed away from obesity. He actually died in a car accident, before he was able to start his BL weight loss journey. The sister is now continuing what he started.
Amazingly enough, I cry just as much watching the second time around. Once upon-a-time, my compulsion with healthy weight, seemed so incredibly shallow. There isn’t a day that goes by that Joy and I don’t have some dialogue about food, or calories, or weight. Just the other day, I pointed out to her that in fact I don’t believe our 35- plus years of shallow girl-talk has really been that shallow at all. As we, and several other good friends, prepare for our 35 year high school reunion, next month, we are ALL happy to be going with healthy minds, in healthy bodies. It feels good.
Sure, there is that vain part of me that cares about this, but in all honesty, its the health part that really feels good. It doesn’t surprise me that daily there are newspaper articles and television news stories about the negative impact extra weight carries. 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese. One story in today’s Sun-Sentinel claims that even parents have a prejudice against their own over-weight children! The vast majority of children are not overweight on their own. They don’t do the grocery shopping and they don’t drive themselves thru the fast food lanes. They are aiding their own children on a journey to obesity, illness, low self-esteem and ridicule and then they, themselves are turning their backs on them. That is SO sad.
A second article in the same paper is about possible tests to predict Type 2 diabetes. “Triggered by increases in obesity, Type 2 diabetes is becoming a major health problem with an estimated 285 million people worldwide affected by the disease–a number expected to grow to 800 million by 2030. In the United States, there are 21 million Type 2 diabetics,” writes Thomas H. Maugh II, of the Tribune Newspapers. I wonder why we need a test?!?! How many Type 2 diabetics do you know that are NOT overweight????? Get the weight under control and you wont have to worry about whether or not you are a candidate. If you are overweight, you are candidate.
So many would defend themselves in saying it’s not so easy to just lose the weight. Guess what? It’s not so easy to be obese, either. It’s not easy to fly in a plane, its not easy to tie shoelaces, its not so easy to play with kids or grandkids, it’s definitely not easy to have Type 2 diabetes. Clearly I can go on with this list, but you already know.
Carolanne made a great comment after BL this week. Many of the contestants have had some type of surgery to deal with their weight, already. Apparently, for them, the surgery was not the answer. As Carol pointed out so well, if we don’t change the brain, we can’t change the body. I do believe this is going to be the theme of the show this season. What makes me cry is that I want to get inside each and every one of their brains and remind them that we ALL have choices. Thankfully, Jillian and Bob are there at the ranch to do that!
Every time we go to the grocery store, every time we order a meal, every time we pick up a fork, we have a choice. It consistently turns out that what is good for the planet, good for the environment and good for our animal friends, is also what is good for us. Since I am pretty sure that most all of us want the same things, we have to decide how badly we want them. What do you want more, better abs or a piece of cheesecake? If you can’t fit in those jeans that used to fit, apparently there is something that you have wanted more. Be present in each and everyone of YOUR choices and you are on the road to physical, mental and spiritual PEACE.
If you are local and looking for some live music tonight, SWEET 903 will be playing from 8-11 at Mythos Greek Tavern in “the walk,” in Coral Springs. This rock cover band features our very own TFC member Todd Cohen on drums. Check em out!
Special thanks to the Sun-Sentinel for continuing to keep the “pill-mill” stories front and center this week. I am confident we are headed in the right direction.
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