Anyway, that got me thinking about each and every person's responsibility to themselves and their families to actively do something (or things) on a regular basis that contribute the their own health and well-being.
Wind the clock back 6 years or so: My waist had started to expand, mostly through eating crap and having an office job where I was desk bound for 8 hours per day (in fact, I still am). All it took was my waist size to increase by one inch and I knew I had to take action.
So why do people who are clearly heading down the path towards diabetes, heart disease and a mobility scooter not take action? Even with all the information out there about exercise and how to eat healthily I find it incredible that they continue on this path without doing anything about it.
I know that it's difficult to break habits, and I know that running seems like a lot of effort when you can quite easily crash on the sofa and watch some TV. But surely a little exercise and a review of your diet isn't that hard when you look at the potential rewards.
People love to take to the easy option, but is it always the right one? Of course not! So I say get up off your ass and do something. Stop sitting there stuffing your face with chocolate night after night and make a change. Eat better food and exercise - Maybe you would like to run but can't or don't know where to start, search the internet (or be retro and buy a book) and you will find the information you need to get started. Make small changes. Find something that motivates you, are you competitive? Enter a race and train for it.
The diseases of affluence are here for all to see, not a week goes by without some mention of them in the news. The funny thing is that it is not inevitable that we'll end up suffering from one or more of them. All it takes is the will to want to be healthy, not just now but way into old age. I do not want to be housebound at 50, 60, or indeed ever! Surely no one actually actively seeks that.
So you have a choice, you can do nothing and most probably fall into the trap of these diseases, or you can do everything in your power to avoid them. You may not want to run a marathon when you're eighty years old, but wouldn't it be great to know that you could?
7t.
