Why are we intentionally, absolutely willingly killing ourselves and our children?

[777]

Why in the world do we abuse our bodies the way we do? We eat crap all day, smoke, drink, do not exercise, and even worse, teach the same terrible habits to our precious children? Before long we have terrible obesity related diseases, feel exhausted and lousy constantly, get lung cancer … you name it ….. diseases that are absolutely preventable just by really taking care of our bodies. Incredibly enough, many of us even know that we are in the high risk group because of our family history, high cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity and other health related issues. We are well aware that we should eat better and exercise but do we? No. Instead, we play Russian roulette with our lives by continuing to eat unhealthy foods & having crappy habits. Our stupid, lame excuse for not living healthier? We mean to improve our lifestyle but other things always come up. What other things can be more important than life itself, YOUR LIFE? What in the world is wrong with us? Are we just suicidal beings?

It’s not even the imminent death that we all are so eager to hasten with our choices but rather the quality of life in general before it is our time to go. It doesn’t matter how wonderful of a family you have … the mansion you live in … a body riddled with diseases would have hard time enjoying all the blessings in life. Think of just this scenario: you have a poorly functioning heart because of narrowed arteries. Because of that your whole body ends up suffering - kidneys, liver, the sexual organs , you will feel loss of energy, your brain suffers because of lack of oxygen and proper nutritients to your body (how do you like starving your brain so that it cannot work at its maximum? ). How much can you enjoy your life?

The worst offense is imposed on our children. Is it not absolutely irresponsible, maybe even criminal, that we let our chidren become obese to the point of endangering their health and mental wellbeing? Shame on us, REALLY shame on us.

I have but one question - what’s your excuse for not really caring and taking care of the one and only thing that connects you to life, your body?

 

[Hobbit]

My parents were smart. I was on the swim team for 10 years. I don't exactly eat the best stuff, but I do exercise it all out, and I do try to watch my soda vs. milk and juice intake. However, even with all that, I've still had cancer.

 

[Gunny]

Why are we intentionally, absolutely willingly killing ourselves and our children?

Because it's fun? Why are "we" willing to live in a bubble, paralyzed by the unreal expectation of staving off death? That isn't living ... it's existing. And if mere existence is what it's all about, you can have it.

I play hard as I can. If it costs me a few years of mortal existence, at least I can say it was a Hell of ride!

 

[Avatar4321]

Because people are inherently dumb to a point. They would rather have something that tastes good now than live 10 extra years. And yes I am guilty of this too.

On a side note though, isn't it interesting that most of these people who have problems with America not eating healthy and "killing ourselves" are among the same people who have no problem aborting children? I don't know how our original poster thinks on the matter. but I think its the trend.

 

[Gunny]

Because people are inherently dumb to a point. They would rather have something that tastes good now than live 10 extra years. And yes I am guilty of this too.

On a side note though, isn't it interesting that most of these people who have problems with America not eating healthy and "killing ourselves" are among the same people who have no problem aborting children? I don't know how our original poster thinks on the matter. but I think its the trend.

Thanks.

 

[William Joyce]

Because it's fun? Why are "we" willing to live in a bubble, paralyzed by the unreal expectation of staving off death? That isn't living ... it's existing. And if mere existence is what it's all about, you can have it.

Right. I remember once some ad saying, "for the price of your morning coffee every day, you could have..."

And then some response going, "And without that coffee, you'd have a lot of unhappy mornings."

 

[MissileMan]

I think I read it on the board before:

Eat right, exercise daily, quit smoking, cut back on your drinking, get plenty of sleep...die anyways

Or something to that effect.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

I think I read it on the board before:

Eat right, exercise daily, quit smoking, cut back on your drinking, get plenty of sleep...die anyways

Or something to that effect.

You libs are turning to nihilism, now that society has rejected your socialism. Why not turn to god, and hope and a bright future on a shiny cloud?

 

[Merlin]

Because it's fun? Why are "we" willing to live in a bubble, paralyzed by the unreal expectation of staving off death? That isn't living ... it's existing. And if mere existence is what it's all about, you can have it.

I play hard as I can. If it costs me a few years of mortal existence, at least I can say it was a Hell of ride!

This was my thoughts also. I just didn't quite know how to put it into these eloquent words.

 

[MissileMan]

You libs are turning to nihilism, now that society has rejected your socialism. Why not turn to god, and hope and a bright future on a shiny cloud?

I dub thee Sir Rtwng...Duke of Dyslexia!

 

[Nienna]

I agree, with our affluent society, we can have almost any simple pleasure we want, within easy reach. It takes a lot of willpower to resist. It's hard to keep telling my kids that treats aren't "treats" if you have them all the time. It's hard to get my kids to eat fruit & cheese for lunch when all their classmates have candy bars and koolaid. Lots of complaints.

But I don't think "treats" are evil, either. Nor fat in food, caffeine, sugar, real butter, etc. It gets very boring picking apart every meal to get rid of that one extra gram of fat. Just eat a variety of more natural-type foods, and you'll be fine. Everything in moderation.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

I dub thee Sir Rtwng...Duke of Dyslexia!

I'm sorry. Your comments bely the underlying nihilism of "recent loser syndrome". Get over it. Salad works.

 

[manu1959]

my family and i don't

 

[Mariner]

is capitalism--if they watch TV, kids are exposed to hundreds of commercials a day. Even PBS is no longer commercial-free, and its commercials increasingly include scenes of happy kids eating Frosted Flakes. The advertisers know that the desire for the products will be deeply implanted in the kids' brains. The kids will beg their parents for them. Here's another area, like care for the environment or a safe work conditions, where unrestrained capitalism may require curbs.

Another part of the problem is convenience. It's a lot easier to grab a 6-pack of Coke and a bag of chips for your kids, or to take them to McDonalds for dinner than to serve healthy snacks or home-cooked meals.

Yet another part of the problem is the TV/computer culture, which has reduced many kids' physical activity and outdoor/nature experience to zero.

But the biggest part of the problem is evolution. We naturally crave sugar and fat, which were hard to get when we evolved, but all too easily found at the 7-11 now.

Mariner.

 

[dmp]

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

 

[dmp]

Another part of the problem is convenience. It's a lot easier to grab a 6-pack of Coke and a bag of chips for your kids, or to take them to McDonalds for dinner than to serve healthy snacks or home-cooked meals.

...which stems from Capitalism. Two-income families are good for finances, but NOT good for 'families'.

But the biggest part of the problem is evolution. We naturally crave sugar and fat, which were hard to get when we evolved, but all too easily found at the 7-11 now.

...you forgot 'carbs'. Fat doesn't make you fat.

[/atkins]

 

[Mariner]

Yes, we all die in the end, and anything you do to improve your health confers only a statistical benefit. But on the other hand, the statistics are very clearly in favor of eating well, exercising, and obtaining preventive health care. Not only will you live several years longer, but perhaps more importantly, those last years will be a lot more comfortable.

Take a look at how people go through surgery. A person who is fit and healthy bounces back quickly. An overweight, sedentary person with poor health habits is far more likely to develop a range of complications and end up in the ICU, dead, or hospitalized for longer, with much greater discomfort.

Or look at falls. Nearly 2 million elderly people a year fall. Nearly half a million are hospitalized. The overall cost is $20 billion dollars--a vast sum. If you've done impact exercises all your life, stretched, and taken in adequate calcium, you're going to be much less likely to break something when you fall. You'll also be much, much less likely to fall in the first place--you'll have good balance, weigh less, and be stronger.

These are just two examples, and don't even address the largest preventable causes of premature death--heart disease and cancer, both of which are less common in healthy, fit people who don't smoke.

Mariner.

 

[Hobbit]

...which stems from Capitalism. Two-income families are good for finances, but NOT good for 'families'.



...you forgot 'carbs'. Fat doesn't make you fat.

[/atkins]

Why did you have to bring that up? I said the Fatkins Diet was a horrible idea from the day I first heard of it. Eating a small amount of carbs deprives you of your primary source of energy, leaving you with really no way to burn off all that crap you eat without an extreme amount of willpower. The first and best way to lose weight is to monitor your calorie intake, balancing out your diet with a high amount of carbs, moderate amount of protien, and a low amount of fat, all rounded off with a rigorous excercise routine.

In fact, the most successful diet plan in the country for weight maintanence (meaning the fat stays off instead of coming right back) is still Weight Watchers, which uses a point system to regulate your total intake of calories.

 

[dmp]

Why did you have to bring that up? I said the Fatkins Diet was a horrible idea from the day I first heard of it. Eating a small amount of carbs deprives you of your primary source of energy, leaving you with really no way to burn off all that crap you eat without an extreme amount of willpower. The first and best way to lose weight is to monitor your calorie intake, balancing out your diet with a high amount of carbs, moderate amount of protien, and a low amount of fat, all rounded off with a rigorous excercise routine.

In fact, the most successful diet plan in the country for weight maintanence (meaning the fat stays off instead of coming right back) is still Weight Watchers, which uses a point system to regulate your total intake of calories.

..except Atkins is a fantastic diet, when adopted as a lifestyle change. (shrug). Not everyone can exercize.

 

[manu1959]

Yes, we all die in the end, and anything you do to improve your health confers only a statistical benefit. But on the other hand, the statistics are very clearly in favor of eating well, exercising, and obtaining preventive health care. Not only will you live several years longer, but perhaps more importantly, those last years will be a lot more comfortable.

Take a look at how people go through surgery. A person who is fit and healthy bounces back quickly. An overweight, sedentary person with poor health habits is far more likely to develop a range of complications and end up in the ICU, dead, or hospitalized for longer, with much greater discomfort.

Or look at falls. Nearly 2 million elderly people a year fall. Nearly half a million are hospitalized. The overall cost is $20 billion dollars--a vast sum. If you've done impact exercises all your life, stretched, and taken in adequate calcium, you're going to be much less likely to break something when you fall. You'll also be much, much less likely to fall in the first place--you'll have good balance, weigh less, and be stronger.

These are just two examples, and don't even address the largest preventable causes of premature death--heart disease and cancer, both of which are less common in healthy, fit people who don't smoke.

Mariner.

why does this matter to you? why do you care how other people treat their bodies?