Here is the story of my Sunday that was directly affected by obesity. I’m an extremely sympathetic person — and I do remember what it was like to be slightly overweight in middle school. Heck, even college did me in a little bit. However, I always took notice of my weight and made rapid changes to fix it.
I remember Chuck Runyon discussing the intensity of the obesity epidemic earlier this year when I interviewed him about his book, “Working Out Sucks.” After our conversation the severity of the situation seemed to be more vivid in my world. However, it had never directly affected me in a way, like it did on Sunday.
My parents and I were at lunch, enjoying each other’s company. I was telling them about the upcoming cover story for Club Solutions — they get the inside scoop — and figuring out what our plans would be for Father’s Day. That’s when it happened. Out of nowhere, a hostess approaches our table — in the middle of lunch — and asks us if we wouldn’t mind scooting our table and chairs back a little to give room for another family. We aren’t stubborn people, nor do we create a ruckus about things, but when the family approached I realized I had been directly affected by the obesity epidemic!
The hostess wasn’t able to just move the other table away from ours, because they needed more room on both sides. The husband and wife, both had to have been over 300 pounds — the husband was at least 300 pounds at 5’10”. The wife may have been less than 300 pounds, but she was quickly approaching it — regardless, my estimation was fairly accurate.
They strolled up with their young child, who was surprisingly not overweight — I could only imagine how long that will last. Childhood obesity is equally as prevalent in our society as our own disregard for our own oral consumption. Once we had moved our table, the wife looked to sit down, but the husband was angry. I overheard him ask why they sat them at a table instead of a booth — the chairs were a discomfort to him. To my dismay, the couple didn’t even use the table that we had so kindly made room for. Instead, they disappeared around the corner to be seated at a booth, where they proceeded to ingest appetizer after appetizer and full-course meals. When they stood to leave, I noticed they had ordered takeout as well — I assumed this would be for dinner. *Scratch that: I hoped it would be for dinner.
Can you talk about the obesity epidemic too much? In our industry there is always discussion about how we can directly affect this situation. I know we can, but it’s an overwhelming thought as to how. I try not to lose hope for our society, but I feel that we are eating ourselves into early graves.
My mom has been a nurse for almost 20 years and we regularly discuss health and fitness topics. Recently we discussed how the medical community has made a shift towards finding cures for the obesity epidemic. I told her, I’m sorry to say, they don’t have the cure … we do. However, she was telling me how there has been a paradigm shift away from curing cancer to curing obesity because it has quickly become a greater concern.
What can we do to make a dent in this life-threatening problem? Can we refer to it as a disease? Can the Center for Disease Control release warnings to restaurants to not feed certain people certain types of food? I know that’s not realistic, but something must be done. Take some time today to think about what your position is in the battle against obesity. What have you done lately?
Tyler Montgomery is the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
Timely article. The biggest problem now is media, govt, class action lawyers, and yes even the fitness industry looking for excuses for the “obesity epidemic” and the “disease of obesity.” Everyone is so eager to blame restaraunts or soda machines – everything but the individual who gorges on huge amounts of food and spends 8 hours a day in front ot TV or Facebook.
The facts are that less than 1% of this “epidemic” is due to a legitimate medical condition. The rest? Gluttony and sloth. Sorry, I know that sounds harsh but 99% of of obese individuals have no one to blame but themselves. When I was in grade school 25 years ago there was always 1 fat kid per class; now there are 10! What changed? McDonalds forcing people at gunpoint to eat?
An inreasingly sedentary lifestyle, social media, disengaged parents, and reduced PE in schools. The good news, and this will come as a shock, is that cutting edge research has shown that kids who play outdoors, engage in sports, and spend less time on Facebook and TV are fit and healthy! Wow. Revolutionary.
Time for some tough love. Obese individuals have no one to blame but themselves. Empathy? It soooo hard not to eat that donut? Can’t find the time to exercise? I work with wounded and disabled war veterans and see paraplegics putting in more reps and laps before breakfast than the average American does in a week! Let’s keep it in perspective.
Tyler and Lucy — Yes all of our resources to the known facts, the fears of what really is not false evidence appearing real, but in fact the what the future holds for our society as a whole…
Initially after reading I thought about spending time composing my comments, yet realized that I would break rule # 1 for me…. And that is to continue sitting and contributing what would become my eventual burden of poor health. Yet my desire to move and be healthy will prevail.
To get up and move ever 60minutes for 6miutes – fast with my balance walking poles… coming back breathing at 60plus %THR.
So my comments could be much more, yet we are all singing to the choir, right.
By the way stay tuned as we complete our publisher study ( largest health/wellness icon ) with near to 100 woman and balance walking poles from around the country. The results have been amazing. Not what you would expect as the number one concern of course is now obesity. Yet the journey each is taking, the multitude of positive results that are leading each woman to the desire to live a life of better health will be note worthy.
And Tyler very well written and hopefully inspire others to approach this epidemic without pills and Drs., but with the same desire we all have to take our next breath…. When do we say enough is enough….