Healthy for Life Entry #1

Trapped in the Land of Plenty

"The body never lies" - Martha Graham

"When was the last time you ran across a mountain meadow chasing a butterfly, or breathed deeply as you jumped from rock to rock over a bubbling stream?  How many of us can take off running after a ball or chase a kite just for fun?  How long has it been since you reached your toes to the sky while swinging at the park?  most of America's adults (and more and more children) can't even fit into a park swing and get winded just climbing a few stairs!"

"We who live in the land of plenty boast freedom, and truly we are free... to choose health or to live by default.  We never intended to live in a toxic world, and we certainly didn't plan to form harmful habits; we just got busy or stressed out.  our budgets and schedules are tight and the quality of our food is our first compromise.  The next thing to go is physical play and activitiy.  Soon our hours of rest are cut short.  After years of daily choices, one day (usually in a doctor's office) we will discover the foreboding truth; we are no longer free."

"Regardless of color; race or socio-economic class, America, "home of the free and the brace," has become imprisoned food cravings and bulky, out-of-shape bodies.  We've become trapped in the "Land of Plenty."  We're now paying dearly for the cost of freedom.  Physical play and adventure are no longer options for those struggling with health and weight issues.  People in all walks of life have forgotten that their bodies are life's most precious asset.  No house can compareto the comfort a healthy body provides; no vehicle can offer such pleasure and lasting mobility.  Certainly, no man-made gadget can rival the intricate workings of the body, yet we've taken advantage , neglected and sacrificed this incredible gift given to us at birth.  In the race for material gains that soon wear out or lose their appeal, we've lost our freedom."

"Too big, too tired, or too self-concious to play, millions of Americans plop down on the sofa, and settle for watching someone else on TV or a video live out their dreams.  Tired, and aching, our nation yearns for a cold dirnk and a bag of chips.  We'd rather find counterfeit rest in processed snacks and a pillow than embrace life in this magnificent body we've been given to transport us through the pleasures and adventures of life."

"Scientific  reasearch has found that being overweight snatches a startling number of years from one's life.  For example, a 20 year old, obese, white male is estimated to lose approximately 13 years of life as a result of his weight.  Assuming a predicted life expectancy of 78 years, this translates into a 17 percent reduction in total life expectancy!"