Don’t weight much longer: the problems with health and society
Photo courtesy of freeimages.com
By Dean De Lucia, Staff Writer
Weight! Do not leave, we need all the help we can get. Is there anything we can do to help others? Recently, in scientific studies it has been found that many people across the world are overweight or obese. It is clearly shown that governments across the globe are not looking to make our world a healthy place to live. Look around, what do you see? I see that everyone nowadays is in it for the money. They will give you anything and do anything to make you spend your money on something that will not help you in a positive way.
Physical health is decreasing at a rapid rate across the world. The percentage of people who are overweight is 40% for men and 30% for women. Food is a major contributor to this problem, but that is not the only thing we can blame. Physical activity among many people is decreasing greatly. Many would rather sit inside and have their eyes glued to the television or play video games. The rapid growth of technology is causing people to become lazy and rely on things to happen without taking action.
Each day as students and adults we are reassured and warned on a daily basis of what is bad and what is good for our bodies. Many of us have heard the saying “To know is not enough.” This phrase pertaining to your health means that although we are constantly informed what is good for our bodies, or what we should not be having, we still do what we please anyway.
Nobody cares about you in this world, because nobody wants to see you do well. People only care about themselves, and that is similar to the mindset of one who is “in it for the money.” This is exactly the mindset of our nation. In 2001 a documentary on McDonaldʼs called “Supersize Me” proved that McDonaldʼs was unhealthy. Many people stopped eating there and realized what harm it was doing to their bodies.
In deeper thought, the documentary proved that all fast food places would eventually have a long term effect on your body and you would not have the ability to do things you normally would be able to do if you ate healthier foods. If the government cared about the people they would not allow fast food restaurants like this to exist on the scale that they do. They just want money.
Another major factor of unhealthy living has come in to play: technology. The use of technology has grown a huge amount and has not stopped growing. Each day companies are trying to improve an electronic device or make up an easier way for something to function. Is easy always better? Is technology more fun the playing outside? Video games, cell phones and television are perfect examples of what the average day contains for a kid or a teenager.
These things make it a lot harder for younger kids to get outside and do other activities. I love playing sports and would much rather be playing a pickup game of basketball with my friends than sitting indoors not being active. A brisk, five-minute walk taken seven days a week will not only change our appearance at a gradual rate, but it will improve the circulation throughout the body.
Parents can contribute as well by getting their kids off the couch, giving them only a limited amount of time with the TV or electronic device and even making sure they know what their children are eating. You would be surprised by how many parents do not know what there children have for lunch throughout their high school years.
Health is one of the most important things and is a huge key to longevity. The United States is very unhealthy compared to other countries and holds one of the highest percentages of death at a younger age. I am not saying it is a competition to be the country with the people living the longest, but at the rate our country is moving the numbers will not look too good in the near future.
We are all encouraged to seek our optimal health, and there are many ways to improve ourselves. Physical activity and a balanced diet are the keys to happiness. Each day you should pay attention to what goes into your body and what you are doing to stay active. You need to take care of your own body, because you deserve to live a happy and healthy life. It starts with you.
