A few weeks ago (a few is an understatement), Ann and I went to the Indiana State Fair. Some of you who know me might be surprised that I willingly went to the state fair. I’ll admit, it was all Ann’s idea. I was, however, more than happy to go with her. (Say what you want, I enjoy doing things that make her happy). The first order of business while there was to get the wrist bands that allow the unrestricted riding of midway rides. It was while standing in line to do just that, when I had a very disturbing realization.
We live in a nation of fat-assed people.
It seemed like everywhere I looked, there were dozens of overweight children. I don’t mean slightly overweight, either, I mean HUGE. For every skinny, normal, kid I would see four or five complete fat asses. I know I’m not one to talk, I could stand to lose a few pounds myself, but I can at least see my feet! Some of these kids probably couldn’t.
The problem became even more apparant when I walked down one “street” lined on both sides with vendors touting deep-fried , where nearly anything you can think of (and probably a half dozen to a few dozen more you probably couldn’t think of) is available, covered in batter and deep fried. Naturally, this area was the most popular. There were innumerable people milling about stuffing their faces with what can’t even really be considered foodstuffs. They were, to be honest, stuffing their bodies full of poisons. (perhaps that’s not entirely accurate, but there’s no way you can tell me that what they were eating was healthy, or in any way appropriate for human consumption).
I believe it was while in this area of the fair that I leaned over to Ann and said “I so feel a blog post coming on”. While it’s been a few weeks (more than a few, john…) since this occured, I can still quite clearly feel the complete shock and awe at how many overweight people I saw. It’s amazing.
Before someone gets the wrong idea, I’m not at all suggesting that everyone should be a toothpick thin super-model-esque walking skeleton. In fact, I find that more often than not disgusting too. What I *am* saying is that we, as a nation, need to move away from this morbid, and quite truthfully disgusting, fascination with fast food and couch-potato-ism. Our youth should be outside playing in the dirt (for boys, and tomboys) or picking flowers and playing house (for girls, or flaming homo’s, not that there’s anything wrong with that), instead of sitting inside eating funions (even if they are tasty…) and playing video games (or watching “The Real World / Road Rules Challenge”…). They should be riding bikes, throwing a frisbee, swimming, running, hiking, skiing , building snowmen or ice forts, having snowball fights, playing tag or hide and seek. Seriously, when did the TV become the babysitter? what happened to playing games with your friends (and no, I don’t mean World of Warcraft, Halo2, etc, I mean Tag, or red rover, or something). When did McDonalds or Taco Bell replace home cooked meals that included (even if I still hate them) vegetables? When did soda replace milk or water at the dinner table? When did families stop eating dinner together?
We’re a fast food nation, nowadays. Addicted to fast, fatty foods and doing as little exercise as possible. This nation isn’t going to die off from a thermonuclear war started by an incompetent idiot in the white house (though that’s still a possibility for the next two years), but rather by one massive heart attack.
Do you really love your kids? Make them go play outside. No, I don’t care if it’s cold out, or snowing, or even if it’s raining (as long as it’s not lightening, although if they got hit by lightening maybe that’s just divine intervention). Make them a real meal (even if you can’t cook for shit). Don’t, however, let them spend all day doing nothing and eating chemically processed fat.
Mr. MMtMM,
It’s true, it’s damn true!
Yes, and it’s very disturbing. I’m not at all saying I don’t fall victim to this society and it’s fascination with these horrible things, I’m all too familiar with fast food, and my sofa. I do recognize it as a problem, though, and have a strong desire to break free. Nowadays when I eat that stuff it makes me physically ill. I probably had built up a tolerance for it before.
Knowing (admitting) there’s a problem is the first step to correcting it.
That deep-fried Snickers is absolutely and wholly DIS-GUS-TING. What’d the person that was eating it look like? Jabba the Griffin? I’d shudder to meet someone that fat.
A really fat lady came into our bar last night when we were playing trivia, and sat down at the bar for drinks. My friend Michelle didn’t believe me when I told her it was a woman. EWW.
Yeah, I’ve seen and known some really really fat people. What I really hate is when people are overweight because they don’t exercise, don’t eat right, and just wallow in their own filthy fat existence. They then go and get handicaped tags for their cars because they don’t want to walk a few extra paces to go in any venue they so choose to drive their fat asses to.
Then you have those infomercials about the “NEW INCREDIBLY AWESOME FAT REDUCTION PILL! NO EXERCISE OR LIFESTYLE CHANGES NECCESARY TO LOSE WEIGHT!” that just seem to reinforce the craptacular behavior of the massive masses.
it’s all gross and nastay and feeding our culture of greedy gluttons. “feeding” pun – INTENDED.
Yes. The major question that remains: What do we do about it?
No freakin’ idear.
Obesity is a real problem in this country. I too can’t stand the commercials for magic pills that supposedly make you lose weight while changing none of the bad habits that made you get fat to begin with. While I know from very personal experience that sometimes medication is needed to help in the weight loss process, I firmly believe that such medication should only be taken while under the care of a weight loss specialist (i.e., a medical doctor) and a nutritionist. My doctor and nutritionist have worked with me to develop a 1200 calory a day diet and exercise program that works for me. I have been a much lighter and healthier person for three years now (and I must say a much more confident and happier person, too). And John, you know I am not stick thin either (just a healthy size 10).
I did need to be on medication to help with the weightloss, but it wasn’t a quick solution. It took about a year to loose all the weight, which was a good thing, because it gave me the time to adjust to eating less and making better food choices. I also discovered that I love working out (not in a gym, I hate them and don’t set foot in them – just not my cuppa tea), but at home. But I found what I like doing and what I know I will be able to stick with. I love excercise videos and I think I drive Paul crazy buying new ones all the time (but it helps to change the routine every once in a while).
Anyway, I’ll get going now. Paul is snoring away in the other room and it is way past my bedtime. Tell Ann I said hi.