I am an overeater. There I’ve said it. And there is nothing anonymous about it. My size alone shouts it to the world. From a boney little wispy thing at age six to a full figured, Rubenesque woman of sixty. And I must tell you the truth — it is not my appearance that concerns me in the least. I have earned the right to not have to worry about looking like a waify teenager. My concerns all lie in the health issues being overweight can bring.
Diabetes is one of the diseases that come to mind when I climb off the scales. When your body ceases to produce insulin or properly use the insulin you have to convert starches and sugars and other foods into energy, you have that serious disease, diabetes. Sometimes it can be blamed on genetics but if you are obese and are not getting any exercise, you are setting yourself up to become a prime candidate. And the symptoms seem so harmless, you may not pay attention to them. Blurred vision, fatigue, excessive thirst, excessive hunger, frequent urination – how many of us over fifty haven’t experienced a few of those occasionally and ignored them.
Heart disease is another common concern for those of us that are obese. There are several different kinds of heart disease, the symptoms of which are often similar — shortness of breath, palpitations, chest pain and/or pressure, nausea, dizziness and fatigue to name a few. Now these symptoms are a little more difficult to ignore and if they persist or become more frequent or severe, you definitely must seek the advice of your physician.
I think where I was going with this is that being overweight and sedentary can bring on a myriad of illnesses and diseases. And health insurance companies take this into consideration with their rates as well. And even if you win the world’s largest lottery, it cannot buy you health. Your health is your responsibility. You and only you know what you have to do to get it and keep it up to the best of your ability. It is as simple as eating nutritiously and getting the proper amount of exercise.
That said, let’s think about the things we can do to put more nutrition into our bodies. Here’s a big one. Stay away from those fast food restaurants. This is also at the top of any list of parenting tips. They are serving a heart attack on a bun and topping it off with diabetes sundae. There is more fat in one of those popular fast food burgers than any of us need for days. French fries — fagitaboutit! We need to eat foods that nourish our bodies and in a manner in which we control the contents and the portion size. Consuming lots of fruits and vegetables is just about the best thing we can do for ourselves. Even a few of those fast food chains have figured that out and are offering fruit cups or fresh salads as an alternative side dish to their 99 cent heart attacks.
So three to five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, small portions (three to four ounces) of lean meats, poultry and fish, some whole grains (breads or cereals), a little dairy and we are off and running toward becoming healthier AND slimmer. But speaking of ‘running towards becoming healthier’, we cannot forget about exercising our bodies. Most of us can walk, so get out and take a nice brisk walk. If it is too hot or too cold for us to walk through the park or through the neighborhood, go to a shopping mall and walk around in there. You would be surprised to know how many people do exactly that. The mall walkers. There are even organized groups that walk the malls.
It is all just one step at a time, pardon the pun. But the first step is always the hardest, whether it is making a change to our eating habits or beginning an exercise regime. Pretend that you are encouraging your best friend and tell yourself all of those benefits to becoming a healthier person. And if you fall off the wagon, don’t beat yourself up. That just proves that we are human, not Gods. And I for one, am making the decision to become a healthier human.
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