"I can't help it. I really like The Biggest Loser," she practically whispered to me. "I actually watch it while I'm on the treadmill because I think, for God's sake, if that 500-pound person can run a few more minutes, I should be able to!"
And I get where she's coming from. Another friend recently told me about a marathon runner who was 76 years old. Umm, yeah...maybe I can aspire to that 5K next spring after all.
Then again, different folks, different strokes. What works me might not work for you. (And what works for the marathon runner definitely doesn't work for me.) I was just lamenting that I cannot run a decent distance on the treadmill anymore, yet (if I may toot my own horn here) I can tear it up in any cardio class for an hour straight. So what gives?
Who knows? I just keep doing whatever I can because I want to keep my body and soul in the healthiest shape possible. And although I am the first to scream that SKINNY IS NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH HEALTHY, there is indeed a weight issue in this country that needs to be addressed, especially among our children.
I came across this story the other day and was mortified by the accompanying chart. Twenty percent obesity rate among our nation's 6-11 year-olds?? That's not just appalling, it's downright scary. And as I read the story about this weight loss camp, I couldn't help but feel my heart sink slightly with every success story. Of course, I'm glad that these kids are working so hard to become physically healthy but are we really seeing teens who need to lose 100 pounds? And let's not kid ourselves. It's not as if anorexia amongst teens has plummeted and the pendulum is now swinging in the other direction. No, the "successful" Americans we are, we now have extreme weight issues on both ends of the spectrum.
And now many of us find ourselves buried under ridiculous quantities of holiday cookies and candy. It's cold and snowy and the idea of a five mile walk at 7am makes me want to throw my head under the blankets and hit the snooze button thirty-seven times. I might think of those kids and rationalize that I would be more likely to get up and go for an early morning walk if I, too, lived in North Carolina, not in the tundra that is Wisconsin. Call them reasons, call them excuses but for me, the reasons to get out of bed and stay active and healthy have just sky-rocketed. It's not just about me anymore. It's also about sending an important message to our kids that how we treat our bodies really does matter. Staying active, being cognizant of the food we are putting into our bodies, repeating the mantra, all things in moderation...now that's an amazing gift we could give to our youth.
Besides, if they can get the message out, we certainly can, too.
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