| (Copyright 2006) by Richard Markland (London, Ohio) |
|---|
| When my wife, Linda, died in 2005, a number of things changed in my life. The area I am more aware of is the number one problem facing the country when it comes to health. Linda weighed 50 lbs. when she died as a result of colon cancer. It was a slow agonizing death, and I am still coming to terms with it to this day. It has been a life altering experience and has made me more aware of cause and effect when it comes to disease and physical health. The one area Linda regretted when finding out she had cancer was past eating habits. Overall, she ate healthier than most people. She always made sure she ate salad when eating at home or at a restaurant, but if she had one vice it was an addiction to Pepsi. It was difficult for her to stop drinking the liquid drug, although she tried on various occasions without success. Only when she was diagnosed with cancer, did she realize she had to go cold turkey and improve her diet overall. Linda was always conscious of her weight. She was a petite little gal of 112 lbs. on average and stood 5 feet two inches tall. She looked younger than her 54 years, but cancer eventually aged her by 20-30 years in appearance. When the disease declared open warfare on her body, it deprived her of up to 750 calories a day, regardless of whether she ate or not. She was the equivalent of a skeleton with tracing paper for skin when she died on April 1, 2005. It never occurred to me how thin I had become. I simply lost my appetite, and many times ate little because Linda couldn’t eat. I suffered from severe depression, and this was a major factor in the weight loss I experienced. To this day, I believe physical appearance tells a lot about how a person feels inside. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to be careful when it comes to physical health and dietary habits. Everyone has vices in this area, but when I take a look at the average American, the physical appearance speaks volumes. I realize when addressing the issue of weight, it is the most uncomfortable subject in the world. It has become taboo to even mention it because it is very personal to people. By not talking about the subject of obesity, people have resigned themselves to believe it’s just the way life is. After all, many people reason that no one has the right to judge. Political correctness has even invaded this area of life. The word “obese” has replaced “fat”. Even to say someone is “obese” has been brought into question because it may affect a person’s self-esteem. Look for a word change in the near future. I have already heard the phrase ‘potential obesity” used when describing overweight school children. Are the words “potential change in physical appearance” on the politically correct horizon? To be brutally honest, a health emergency needs to be declared. If you doubt this, take a look at the average person you see on an average day. Many people are 50, 75 or a hundred pounds overweight. The scale tips the century mark for more people than we realize. We try to use clothes as a way to hide our physical appearance. Many times, I see men and women look at themselves in the reflection of glass at storefronts and believe that by pulling down a blouse or shirt, they are hiding the extra pounds that everyone else can see. If shadows could speak, what would they say? No doubt, by now, I have some people squirming, but am I speaking the truth or being judgmental? It is the one area in life that no one wants to talk about, but obesity is a modern-day epidemic. People, however, reason that they can’t lose weight but if this is true, why do I not see obese people in Africa due to famine? Without food, weight is not an issue. We are literally eating ourselves to death. We have a love affair with hamburgers, fries, colas, pastries, chips, and starchy foods overall. We don’t even take the time to walk from our cars into a local McDonald’s or Burger King, but order at a drive thru window and eat quickly while driving down the street. Could it be that our physical appearance is a reflection of our mental state of mind? If my past problem with weight is any indication, I would have to say it is. Linda always mentioned that when she stayed thin, she felt better about herself. I agree wholeheartedly because I have experienced the same thoughts. We are kidding ourselves if we believe the problem of obesity will go away. Why? Because Americans are addicted to food, and it has become a modern day drug that no one wants to admit they are addicted to. Most people who admit it, will only do it privately and never say the words “I’m fat” out loud, even if they are in a room by themselves. Many people simply shrug their shoulders with a feeling of resignation. Stress is a contributing factor when it comes to disease, but what we put in our mouths is the number one reason why we suffer from killer diseases. Only when we are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, do we put on the brakes and decide changes need to be made. Not everyone thinks this way, but if I were to put a percentage on the number of people who take action before an illness occurs, I would guesstimate it would be in the area of 5 percent who will make changes before they are forced to. Recently, reports were issued that Pepsi and Coke contain Benzene. It is a pesticide put in a modern-day liquid drug. When I recently mentioned this to people in passing, a common response was “Oh, really, I haven’t heard that”, or “Oh, well, there is always something that will hurt you.” Not a single person said “Thanks, for letting me know. I am going to stop drinking it right now.” If anyone would have said this, I would have asked if they were feeling OK. Major disease epidemics threaten to strike the U.S., but how many people know what steps should be taken in order to prevent themselves from being a statistic? Every flu season, people spend hard earned money on doctors, yet won’t make necessary personal changes in order to build up their immune systems. When I have mentioned the steps, I’ve taken to prevent myself from getting a cold, people basically just look at me as if it may work for me, but not for them. It is just one more example of how people do not want to make personal sacrifices. Many people simply want a pill to help with health or weight problems. I listened to someone ask an employee of a health food store this past week what pill was available that would help her lose weight quickly. She had no interest in exercise or diet change. She walked out after realizing there wasn’t a quick fix offered. Yesterday, when stopping at a convenience store not far from my home, a woman was frustrated with not being able to find the local Pizza Hut. She was extremely obese with an area of fat hanging down to her knees. Four out of the five people in the store next to her were also obese. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why she was at least 100 lbs. overweight. Last week, I witnessed a woman at least 150-200 pounds overweight, consume a large amount of food with a breathing tube attached to her nose. Only by moving sideways was she able to get into the passenger side of the car. Our immune systems are literally shot. We have the greatest health care system in the world when it comes to accessibility, but we are woefully ignorant of cause and effect. When it comes to understanding why we are overweight or sick, it is equivalent to trying to add 2 plus to 2 and coming up with 5 as the answer. We do not accept the answers for what they are. Instead, we want solutions that fit within our comfort zones. We reject anything that requires personal sacrifice. It’s hard to believe there was a time when weight wasn’t an issue. Who would ever have imagined a hundred years ago that obesity would someday be classified as an epidemic? When a society becomes complacent and apathetic about life overall, an unhealthy state of mind is not the only problem, but an unhealthy physical appearance is evident as well. |
Views: 18
Very sorry about your wife’s suffering and early death. 🙁
This is tragic but true. It’s like being in prison with the key in their pocket but not wanting to leave because it might be raining outside and people like three hot meals a day and a cot at night.
Most people think improper eating only hurts themselves, but it affects their families too.
Other forms of ‘harmless’ addiction are worldly entertainment such as social media, video games, tv shows, movies, magazines, books, sporting events, music concerts, etc Even a hobby or a career can become an addition, I guess the key is moderation.
Hi Rebecca,
Richard Markland will not get your comments this way as he has been in prison since 2005 or 2006 and is currently in prison in London Ohio. If you want his address email me.
Laura