I listened with interest to Radio Times, a radio show on public radio today (2/16/2010). I found myself trying to think critically on the issue–childhood obesiety. I feel like there are a few items that could have been dealt with better or that were omitted from the discussion even if the issue was ‘brought up’ in the episode.

I felt as if those interviewed were looking to provide an answer as to why “we” are overweight and how “we” can solve that problem. Topics ranged from gender, ethnic group, etc… Why not simply say they ingested more calories than they expended?

Those on the show stated that “times have changed” and that television, the Internet, … all mean we have less time to do what our grandparents did. While I disagree on that–my grandparents didn’t have chicken at the store, they had to raise it, kill it, cook it… I recall them saying they had less free time because they had none of the conveniences that we have today…

Times sure have changed. However, my grandparents use to say that you had to work and care about yourself and those you love–don’t expect the government or your employer to look after your best interests (they went through the Great Depression).

Today, “we” expect too much… We expect music to be ‘free’ on the internet, we expect to have a car, a house, medical insurance, etc… Why?

Medical insurance was started during WWII when there were wage freezes. Employers created a way to “pay” people more that did not violate the rules and offered health insurance as part of their employment. There was no desire to give health insurance…. Rather, companies wanted to attract better employees–paying more or providing health insurance were the same thing. Providing medical insurance had nothing to do with “people deserve medical care.” Yet, society at large now sees medical insurance as a necessity for everyone.

We think “we” are so educated and “advanced” that everyone should have food, a home, medical insurance, … I too think it would be nice to have ‘free’ medical insurance and care. However, how do we fund these “expectations?” How do we pay for it all? You can’t have everything at no cost–either we pay directly or indirectly (taxes).

Personal responsibility should be taught. You want “this?” Go work for it… Go earn it… You can’t just go ‘take’ it (as is seen with music sharers and the like–that is like walking into the music store and walking out with a Vinyl Record without paying for it even if “we” don’t “see” it that way today).

I hear people say, “But not everyone can afford it.” I agree. However, I have always obtained insurance–it wasn’t always cheap, and it wasn’t always what I wanted. I’m a diabetic, and I have to have a company provide it since insurance companies will not give me long-term insurance as an individual due to my diabetes. I can create my own company and get it that way. There are options, even if they aren’t very affordable. Again, why does it have to be affordable? How do you get $10 of fish for $5? I’ll tell you–you don’t. You get less fish.

The issue with obesity, childhood or otherwise, is more caloric intake than caloric expenditure. This may be due to unhealthy food, portion size, sedentary life style, or any combination of those, or other, issues.

It may not really be an issue of ‘healthy’ food versus ‘unhealthy’ food is it? If ‘healthy’ food may not make us ‘feel full’ (as is seen with sushi vs. McDonalds Big Mac and Fries), might a person eat more calories (sushi) to feel as full as a person who eats the Big Mac? I would love to see an unbiased study looking at that issue…

Times have changed. They sure have changed (internet, television, …) Why do we think that ‘it should be easier’ for us to feed our families healthy food? Why pass on that responsibility to the food grower, manufacturer, distributor, packager, etc.? Why isn’t it OUR responsibility as parents or as the parent? The guests stated it shouldn’t be so hard… Why should it be easy? Why do we have an expectation of “easy?” This is what I do not understand… If there is such a market for this healthy eating, why don’t your guests start the company? It might be that providing that type of food isn’t so inexpensive. I don’t know. I’m not in the food industry, and I’m not a farmer.

Has anyone told their kids “don’t worry about work, life will be easy. Your employer/government will take care of you.”? I doubt any parent would provide that advice to their children. Yet, here I was hearing that “it shouldn’t be so hard” to raise a family today” and that “others” should make it easier for me… All on public radio.

Teach children about portion size, calories, food groups, and medical/scientific facts. I would guess that most parents don’t realize what portion size is appropriate (for them or their kids).

Why do “we” feel a need to make others do what is best for us? We, as individuals and as a society, should welcome the responsibility of doing what is best for us.

Instead of saying “companies can’t make this,” “you have to make that,” “you can’t advertise to…,” or “you need to have more ‘healthy’ alternatives,” I’d love us to teach our kids, and ourselves, that marketing tries to get us to buy their product. We need to teach our kids that the kids on television may not even like what they are eating–kids believe what they see at those ages, and we, as parents, need to educate them.

If we don’t teach personal responsibility re: food and tell our kids that others are responsible for their weight, what are we telling the public at large about responsibility re: anything else? What about education? Is it the school’s fault if the kids fail? Is it the same answer if the kid never works on becoming educated? Is it the school’s responsibility to raise the children or simply to provide a forum and location for education?

Putting the responsibility for “what is best for me” on someone else absolves me of any failure since “it wasn’t up to me.” However, the fault IS with the end-user since the end-user made a choice–to buy, eat, chew, swallow, … the food in question. It may be a medical issue (hormones, digestive tract issue, etc.), but those that are obese have some responsibility for their condition–whether a cause (due to eating) of it or a responsibility to care for a medical condition.

My oldest child–fed entirely on breast milk for 18 months–is now at 95% on both height and weight. My youngest, premature by 90 days, is fit and trim at the 50% mark for weight and 75% for height. Generalizations about breast milk and weight are not, I think, appropriate—especially where some mothers can’t produce, some babies won’t attach, … Address the issue–caloric intake vs. caloric expenditures. While other issues, ethnic groups, social and economic status, etc. may have influences on what and how we eat, we are all human.

On a side note, I’d love for this “race” word to go away like the “sex” form on governmental forms (they mean gender)… Neither are appropriate. We are all human. It isn’t as if we are cats and dogs that can’t breed. Why do “we” need to distinguish ourselves from others? Doing so, in my opinion, is part of the problem… If we were all “the same group” and all the rules applied to all of us in that group, what is the problem? Yes, idealistic. However, which world is better?

At some point, it becomes about realizing that “others” can make decisions that “I” think are wrong, and I can still let them make those choices rather than removing choices from their plate. The guests stated they were not suggesting we remove choices. I agree.

However, by suggesting that the responsibility is not ours, you minimize the probability of success–it would be like giving a hungry person a fish rather than teaching him to fish. The person still eats, but the person fishing says it is their responsibility to catch the fish while the other says nobody gave me any fish today. While they may both go hungry, one can go out and do something about their hunger while the other simply waits for someone else to “solve” their problem.

Calories are calories. Lets simply reduce the amount ingested and try to increase the caloric expenditure through exercise. Less in and more out = less weight.

What say you?

People make mistakes. We all do. Yet, many try to deny making any…

Famous people

McCain said we would not be pulling out of the Middle East any time soon, and the Democrats, including Obama, said that a quick pullout would happen-going as far as to set a deadline (that has past).

We are still in the Middle East…

Why not simply say, “I was wrong. McCain had enough experience to know something that I, at that time, could not foresee.”

How would saying that or admitting to being ‘wrong’ or mis-informed weaken Mr. Obama?

I don’t get it…

Perfect…?

There is no ‘perfect’ person on this planet (or off-world for that matter) that is always right. Too many things are subjective or fluid to be classified as ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’ Even on factual issues, the ‘brightest’ person is not always right.

Isn’t that okay?

The public expects politicians and others to be ‘perfect’ and are, lo and behold, surprised when people are not perfect. From actors to politicians–people are … people.

They are no better or worse than you or me. They may think they are–buying into their own marketing, but they put their pants on one let at a time unless they either jump into their pants or slip into them while down on the bed, the floor, the chair, …

You think you ‘know’ an actor? Guess again. You know the persona they market…

The CEO of a major corporation sits down at the table in the cafeteria with all those other ‘higher-ups,’ like the CFO, COO, etc., and they eat and talk about the same stuff you do at your table. Sure, they might occasionally talk about business, but everyone’s business is slightly different. They talk about dinners, parties, cars, … While the party, house, car, etc. might be different, they have feelings that are quite similar to yours.

Okay, we are all people…

People make mistakes. Size and scope may be different, but a mistake is not who you are…

Realize that a mistake is simply a mistake. Even if others make assumptions about you based on your mistakes, you are not defined by your mistakes. You might still need to work on not making the same mistake or you might need to fix the situation. If you make a mistake in a business, fix it if you can–this could be leaving the company, this could be solving a problem with supplies, this could be just about any issue. If you get angry when you shouldn’t have been upset, calm down and try hard to not get angry the next time.

Mistakes happened in the past

You past is … your past. You can’t change it. You shouldn’t define yourself, what you are now or in the future, by what has gone on in the past.

Future. What is to be. What hasn’t happened yet. You can do something different, you can act different, you can become something different, and you can change–fix those mistakes.

The only thing stopping you is … you.

Gogs

Gogs once said that a door might not open if you bang your head on the door. Gogs said you can keep banging your head against the door, but all you are going to get is a headache. Don’t expect the door to open this time when what you have been doing hasn’t changed. Try something different… Perhaps the lock, the knob, another door…

Summary

So try. What could it hurt?

Making it right is sometimes impossible, he said.

Attempting to fix what is broken? Yet, he said, ‘it’ is already broken… The concentric circles have echoed outward from the breaking, and no matter how much we try, the waves can never be put into reverse to make it ‘as if it never happened.’

I said that I was sorry. He smiled that Gogs smile and said, “Aren’t we all?”

He said, “Try to smile.”

To summarize Gogs…

Smile

You will look better, you will feel better, and I hope, at some point, that we can all realize that getting over ‘it’ and forgiving will make us happier, even if it can’t make it ‘as if it never happened.’

Smile.

It really feels better.

We all make mistakes. Me, you, them, us, … I will not define you by your mistake–much less your worst mistake. I hope you extend everyone else the same courtesy I extend you.

You might actually feel better if you let go, smile, and think better of them, of yourself, and of life in general.

Smile.

You are worth it, and, whether you think so now, they are deserve no less than you.

Gogs. He was a smart man.