It can’t be that simple, you’re thinking.  If it was that simple, why are people so obsessed with these diet books and diet secrets?  Well listen up:  Recently, a study was performed on a reserved Amish community in Canada.  That study revealed two things. 1) The Amish eat a high-fat, high-sugar diet of meat, potatoes, eggs, bread, pies and cakes- pretty much all the things that diet promoters are trying to tell you to stop eating altogether.  2)  Only 4% of their population were obese (compare that with our country where there’s a 30% obesity rate).

What’s missing from this equation?  What’s the Amish secret?  Truth is, it’s no secret at all.  The Amish study showed exactly what our society has cut out of our daily life- EXERCISE!  All the members of the Amish community- men and women- spent 35-40 hours a week performing moderate physical activity (the same amount of time that many Americans spend in classrooms, in front of computer, a cash register, an industrial machine or at the other end of a telephone), most added 4-10 more hours of extreme exertion onto that.  As a society, we are in constant motion- driving, taking trains, buses, planes, ferries- but we are forgetting to move our bodies! 

Maybe you’re saying, “I’m sorry but I just don’t have time to go to the gym!” or “I got cut from my sports team, what do you want me to do?” To that I would respond with these challenges to the way we think- Why is exercise something to be fit in amongst more important activities?  Why are athletes the only ones given the opportunity to train and physically perform at the highest level?  Why is the health and welfare of our bodies being pushed to the bottom of our “To Do” lists? 

Our bodies are designed to be used to their fullest potential.  When we run, we are some of the fastest creatures on earth.  We can swim, jump, climb, crawl…our bodies are amazingly versatile.  Yet we don’t use them.  We neglect them.  On average, Americans barely walk more than a couple of miles a day- many don’t even break the half mile mark.  Exercise and fitness should be a part of our daily lives- through chores, walking, play, work- not an extra feature to be crammed in if you have the time.  This new obesity craze has to do more with our bodies crying out to us “HELP WE’RE BORED” than it has to do with fast food, carbohydrates, genetics or any other theory we’ve come up with. 

Our society has quickly been moving away from promoting a healthy lifestyle.  TV alone has had an enormous impact on our culture in more ways that we can count.  We watch it while we eat, before we go to sleep, when we wake up in the morning, in school, every chance we get.  Hours that used to be spent walking over to the neighbors’ house or staying late at school to play a little pick up b-ball are now more likely to be spent inside playing the hottest new video game or flicking through channels, looking for something decent to watch.  TV hits us on more levels than just fitness, though.  We are constantly taking in ad after ad, urging us to buy this soda, eat at that restaurant, or just to stay tuned for one more show.  No matter how much you fight against it, these businesses know what they’re doing.  They spend billions of dollars to have that message stick in your head and influence the way you spend your money.  

That’s not to say that there isn’t a lot more at play in the war against obesity than just inactivity.  Over the last few decades food has become more processed and contains less nutritional value.  Portion sizes have grown to unreasonable and unhealthy proportions.  Whatever happened to the old saying, everything in moderation?  Families are less likely to cook meals from scratch and eat them together at the table and more likely to grab take-out or nuke a frozen meal in the microwave.  Fad diets, crash diets, diet pills and other unhealthy ways to try and lose weight have flooded the markets, people are buying them left and right- but if they work so well, why is the obesity rate still rising?         

Obesity is a national problem but it has to be attacked individually.  That means YOU. There is no one magic solution that will appear on bookshelves and make us all thinner, so stop waiting for it.  The very best thing that you can do for yourself is to step back, look at how you live your life and discover what is missing.  Turn off the TV in the afternoon and go for a walk.  Take horseback riding lessons.  Eat fresh food rather than pre-processed frozen food.  Pack a sandwich and juice for lunch rather than buying fries and a soda in the cafeteria.  Every small choice you make has an effect.  Be aware and be smart.  The health of you body is not something to worry about later- it’s something to take care of NOW.