Fit, Not Fat
Too bad, though. It would appear from recent studies (hell, anyone can reach similar conclusions through a casual observation of passers-by in any local urban street or shopping mall) that Canadians are anything but fit. We are, unfortunately, in a sad and sorry physical state. We're statistically overweight, and verging on toppling over into morbid obesity. And why on earth is that?
We cannot understand the most basic requirements of a balanced diet and the good implicit in moderate exercise. We've been warned repeatedly, but we're a real bunch of slow learners. It'll happen to someone else, not to us. Eating has taken the place of recreational opportunities like getting out and enjoying nature. Instead, Canadians are a whole lot happier with their obsession with stuffing food into their maws as their version of recreational fun.
We appear to be besotted with the good life, mistaking awareness of moderation and some degree of self-discipline with the hard life. Mind, the statistics were taken with co-operation of family doctors, so all those self-incriminating measurements pointing the guilt-finger of lack of physical health care were derived from patients visiting their doctors.
Maybe there's hope for us after all. In that people who look after themselves, eat selectively and wisely, exercise their rights to walk, hike, bike, engage in sports and other outdoor activities are in such good health that they rarely see the need to seek the diagnostic help of their family doctors when symptoms kick in that more often visit those who risk poor health.
Hopeful thinking. In any event, Canadian adult men and women appear to have raised the bar in unhealthful living in comparison to the populations of 63 other countries in this survey. Fully 36% of Canadian men and women visiting their doctors' offices have been appraised as obese. In east Asia that number is a piddling 7% by way of wincing comparison.
Lest we overlook another group itself still at risk for health complications, a further 40% of Canadian men and 30% of women were placed in the overweight, not-yet-obese classification. Largest waistlines from among the 63 nations? Canadian men. Canadian women scored a tad better. Shame on us. Really.
Health Canada's statistics reflect a trifle more kindly on this nation's population of fatties, putting us at a relatively modest 23%. Which means that about one in every four of us is determined to slowly kill ourselves. And picking up speed as we age. We're putting ourselves at risk for stroke, heart attacks, diabetes and cancer. Not a pretty picture.
Abdominal fat has been implicated in the greater risk factors leading to all of the above. Heavy hips and thighs, albeit not particularly attractive, and raising their own risks to movable body parts, appear somewhat less problematical. Fat pots is what really does us in. Yet, lest we despair as standing out disproportionately in the world community as dumpy, obese and singularly unattractive people, we may take heart - a little bit.
Obesity has become a problem throughout the world. We're gluttons. Slugs that simply cannot see the value in moving about energetically. This may yet become the health pandemic that health professionals have previously identified as some kind of incipient, potential and incurable disease, slow to materialize. Fatties of the world unit in a common determination to beat this malevolent, creeping fat-ism!
Drop that donut! Get moving! Cripes, you'd think we'd know better. Want better for ourselves. Be ashamed to be role models for our children. Waste our opportunities for lack of more intelligent values and choices.
We cannot understand the most basic requirements of a balanced diet and the good implicit in moderate exercise. We've been warned repeatedly, but we're a real bunch of slow learners. It'll happen to someone else, not to us. Eating has taken the place of recreational opportunities like getting out and enjoying nature. Instead, Canadians are a whole lot happier with their obsession with stuffing food into their maws as their version of recreational fun.
We appear to be besotted with the good life, mistaking awareness of moderation and some degree of self-discipline with the hard life. Mind, the statistics were taken with co-operation of family doctors, so all those self-incriminating measurements pointing the guilt-finger of lack of physical health care were derived from patients visiting their doctors.
Maybe there's hope for us after all. In that people who look after themselves, eat selectively and wisely, exercise their rights to walk, hike, bike, engage in sports and other outdoor activities are in such good health that they rarely see the need to seek the diagnostic help of their family doctors when symptoms kick in that more often visit those who risk poor health.
Hopeful thinking. In any event, Canadian adult men and women appear to have raised the bar in unhealthful living in comparison to the populations of 63 other countries in this survey. Fully 36% of Canadian men and women visiting their doctors' offices have been appraised as obese. In east Asia that number is a piddling 7% by way of wincing comparison.
Lest we overlook another group itself still at risk for health complications, a further 40% of Canadian men and 30% of women were placed in the overweight, not-yet-obese classification. Largest waistlines from among the 63 nations? Canadian men. Canadian women scored a tad better. Shame on us. Really.
Health Canada's statistics reflect a trifle more kindly on this nation's population of fatties, putting us at a relatively modest 23%. Which means that about one in every four of us is determined to slowly kill ourselves. And picking up speed as we age. We're putting ourselves at risk for stroke, heart attacks, diabetes and cancer. Not a pretty picture.
Abdominal fat has been implicated in the greater risk factors leading to all of the above. Heavy hips and thighs, albeit not particularly attractive, and raising their own risks to movable body parts, appear somewhat less problematical. Fat pots is what really does us in. Yet, lest we despair as standing out disproportionately in the world community as dumpy, obese and singularly unattractive people, we may take heart - a little bit.
Obesity has become a problem throughout the world. We're gluttons. Slugs that simply cannot see the value in moving about energetically. This may yet become the health pandemic that health professionals have previously identified as some kind of incipient, potential and incurable disease, slow to materialize. Fatties of the world unit in a common determination to beat this malevolent, creeping fat-ism!
Drop that donut! Get moving! Cripes, you'd think we'd know better. Want better for ourselves. Be ashamed to be role models for our children. Waste our opportunities for lack of more intelligent values and choices.
Labels: Social-Cultural Deviations, Whoops
posted by Pieface @ 12:58 PM
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