As I travel around the country, going from place to place in order to transform the unhealthy into the fit, it is alarming to see how many people are truly obese and overweight, and seemingly do not care at all.  It is understandable for the weight of a human being to fluctuate due to lack of exercise, or excess eating from time to time, but what I have seen is not normal, by any standards, liberal or conservative. When I say, “What I have seen is not normal”, I am referring to the disproportionate amount of overweight people versus the amount of people that would be considered healthy by national standards, and yes, there are set standards of how much Joe Johnson should weigh based on his height and age. The question is, why are we so fat? How did it get to the point that every time I am in a mall, baseball game, or movie, there are more overweight people than non. Is it because we do not exercise as much as our European friends? Are the United States of America the fattest nation on the globe because we eat bad? According to the social conservatives, we have the best health care in the world so there is no way that our health care system could be to blame for the fact that the U.S.A. Yeah right, sure, the U.S.A. is not even in the top 10 when it comes to nations with the longest life expectancy rate, but our health care system is so spectacular! Ha! So what are your thoughts? How can we curb obesity? Is it as easy as making sure everyone spends at least 30 minutes of their day exercising? If everyone in America had a treadmill, what percentage of them would use the treadmills? If you guessed 1/10, then you are very optimistic and should be applauded for your positive outlook, but you are surely mistaken. More like 1/1000 people would actually use fitness equipment in their home on a regular basis if they had it. That is if they had the equipment at home at their disposal to use anytime they wish. Try and imagine the amount of people that actually take the time out of their day to go to the gym and stay physically fit. That number is more like 1/10000. It is crucial to maintain a consistent workout regimen and set goals. GOALS. You need to set goals. Aimlessly exercising is not optimal. Set goals and aim to achieve them.

The goal is to make health care not an issue. How can I not worry about health care you ask? Take control of your life through a balanced diet and daily exercise routine. Many of our problems are brought on us by our own inability to take care of ourselves mentally and physically. Mentally, we work too hard, and stress out as a result. Physically, we damage ourselves through eating too much, drinking too much and not exercising enough. The first thing all of our parents taught us are that “you are what you eat!” In other words, if you stuff yourself with trans fat and sugar, you are contributing to the problem, rather than the solution.

Setting goals is part of the psychological battle we fight in our war against lethargy and laziness. Another big part of the psychological side of exercising is remaining positive and optimistic. Staying in good shape and maintaining a balanced diet are long term events that should not be judged upon their short term results. The key is to progressively get better each and every day. I have said over and over that every day of your life you either get better og get worse! Which one will it be today? If you have an off day and take a step back, no big deal, just take two steps forward the next day and you will be right back on track. If you breakdown in traffic on the way home from work and go to McDonalds drive through for a double cheeseburger and french fries, who cares, just make sure you work it off the next day. We are not advocating fast food as good for you, we are just saying that just because you ate some fatty foods doesn’t mean that you should give up on your exercise routine and succumb to a passive, careless, lazy lifestyle. Even if you get off track one day, get right back on the next. Always remember, success is a journey, not a destination, so do not be discouraged with short term results. The definiton of a true champion is someone that can withstand adversity and overcome obstacles on that come up on the road towards success. Do not give up!

Now I know there are some of you out there that have a six-pack and like 3% bodyfat and have never used an elliptical in your life, but you are the exception to the rule. The amount of people that are in shape and don’t workout are slim and it shows. Have you walked around a mall in America lately? Have you gone to the movies? It is gross. To quote jay Z, “What More Can I Say?”  Last time I went to the movie theatre the 9 year old kid sitting next to me must have weighed 250 Lbs. at least, and was no taller than 5’5! Obesity in the United States of America is at an all time high and we need to do the best we can to exterminate this lazy, cocky lifestyle that way too many people in America have adopted. A lifestyle defined by your average Joe Johnson that will eat whatever, never exercise, drink and smoke, and go get pills from a Dr. when he getssick from living an unhealthy lifestyle.