41 Reasons Life Expectancy Lags in the U.s

Reasons 1 Through 15

McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Boston Market, Nathan’s, Arby’s, Denny’s, Ihop, Carvel, Baskin-Robbins, Krispy Cremes, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks play a major part in promoting the number one American anti-life factor obesity. In truth the list should be at least around 43173 just in the concern of fast food venues.

After all there are other national, regional and local businesses and franchises to consider. We live it. We eat. To make matters worst is when these places offer the less fatty menu choices, they don’t have enough sales to maintain on the long term offerings list.

Schools Grades K-12

This makes up another 13 reasons in a way that is compounded. How can a school teach good nutrition to kids, if they can’t supply it in the cafeteria at lunch on a consistent basis or in some cases at all. This is mired in the art of do as I say and not as I do. Yes, there have been advances in this area, but not enough. Budget and cost are a factor. Nutritious food cost more. We all have to be honest, if the kids don’t like the taste they won’t eat it. They will take the same money and goes to a fast food mill that has a dollar menu after school.

Schools Add Number 29 As Well

Gym classes have become a joke. They stop short of breaking out Xbox when catering to the kids. A child can get more activity if he has a Nintendo Wii console at home. At least there would be some movement they would be willing to perform for hours.

I personally have witnessed an after school program that sponsored a girl’s tennis team where only four of twenty could even maintain a volley of a five hits or more on a consistent basis. The bowling coach resembled and ate like Fred Flintstone spending his practice sessions at the snack bar. Meanwhile novice bowlers are meandering up to the foul line trying to push the bowl to at least meet the pins.

Some bowlers were barely knocking down a pin while old Fred was knocking back the pizza and dogs like a champ. The best is the schools allow this kind of activity to on in this manner unchecked.

Lets Go Back To On The shelf Nutrition

I will begin with the easiest way to start the day. A box of sugar encased with name brand cereal. Yes sir, folks teach kids great nutrition habits by starting their day with a bowl or two of whole grain fruity or chocolate flavored “Sugar O’s.” On days when everyone’s running late the microwave or toaster will yield an on the go breakfast of white sugar pastries or cholesterol ladened salt biscuits with a dab of egg flavor and artificial or real bacon. I will be generous and only credit these as two more reasons.

On The Shelf Nutrition Redux

Soda (I am a diet cola addict), snacks and plain mounds of empty calorie offerings come home from the supermarket in quantities to vary from 25% to 75% of the weekly main shopping trip. As a former cashier I can validate the most common words from person doing the weekly household shopping after absorbing the dollar cost in the total is “What did I buy? There’s no real food here.” As I will explain this encompasses three more reasons.

Lack of awareness when selecting products tops this list. Just because a package label contains the word “healthy” doesn’t mean much. The meaning of healthy in the food industry is spread wide and thin. In a majority of the cases the word is an advertising ploy and not a reality.

I remember when reduced whatever Twinkies came out. Supermarkets had hosting sampling displays. The people at the tables were telling customers how much better these were for you. The more correct terminology would have been “less bad” because no matter how you cut it Twinkies are as much to health as a magnifying glass is to sunscreen. Many of the so-called healthy snacks are no better than vein sludge.

So called safe foods such as organic and vegetarian based foods round out the trio. These elements don’t guarantee healthy, low calorie, or even true nutrition. All natural foods still can be ladened with cholesterol, salt, and be high in calories. I remember in my supermarket days a woman who I hadn’t seen for a long length of time showing up looking frail and pounds less. She have been a total vegan here whole life and had triple bypass surgery. She was the first of any person in her family to have any heart related problem. Also she was the only vegan.

Moving On To Reasons 35 Plus

Recreational activities are an after thought for many Americans. They don’t understand that exercise at work doesn’t correlation with daily exercise requirements. If you refer the previous section on schools and activities, you can understand why. The perception is you have to be a gym rat. Not true, all you need to is maintain a moderate regimen three to four times a week.

In the eighties it was popular to unwind on a racquetball court. Now, it is popular to unwind on chair in front of the computer or big screen TV. Of course video game addiction is now being recognized as a large social problem. This actually links to another reason.

Reason 39

Obesity is not only connected to poor physical health but poor mental health. Americans give a new meaning to “a heavy weight country.” We (at present myself included) have the most overweight adult percentage of any country. You would think a country that rates Sumo Wrestling as it’s top sport would fair higher. It is just not the case.

Stress: The Final Frontier

I have long called for stress management to be taught as early as grades 5-7. (Now, if Barrack Obama had said this instead of stating for sex education to be taught in the earlier age, his rating would have rose at least five points.)

For several years it has been promoted by organizations as the National Association of Mental Health and the American Psychological Association that over five percent of the U.S. population is affected by depression each year. Now, there is a debate over that possibility that number might just fall short of 10%. Even that figure may have it’s own asterisk in that as much as 60% of all depression may not be reported. One of the central causes is stress. Stress is a common link thread that runs the gamut of mental health problems.

It is fact that as mental health goes so does physical. A true to life depiction was the Sharon Stone character in the movie “Alpha Dogs.” She plays a trophy wife thin woman who by the end of the film was shown to become more than triple her weight.

A Main Pillar In The Problem

Reason number 40 is the overall American Healthcare Crisis in general. Simply, too many people are saddled with inadequate or no health insurance in this country. Brutally, the richest country in the world has the highest healthcare cost in the world. For million of citizens quality health insurance is unaffordable. Some consider it unattainable.

The 41st And Most Shameful Reason

I know your are thinking,”Isn’t having millions of people without health insurance shameful enough?” The answer is no. Not when as bad as the overall healthcare system is, mental healthcare is worse. It is neglected by insurance companies and people themselves as well.

Insurance companies outright fudge and weasel out on mental healthcare coverage. The motto is “Take the pill and chill.” Pills only mask the symptoms and do not treat the cause. As I said before, as mental fitness goes, so does physical fitness. The refusal to address mental healthcare by not only the insurance companies but by people themselves undermines the health outlook of those affected directly and by strong social and family ties.

To Address The Issue

We have several steps to take. The first is acknowledge it. The second is to develop an awareness. And the third is to begin focusing on the problem aspect by aspect one step at a time. The fourth and most important step of the process is to follow through until completion.

We have the resources. We have the means. We need the attitude and mentality to attack the problem in whole until we reach the standard we should expect in living health and overall healthcare.