I’m probably going to have my “Setter” title revoked and get a slew of hate-comments with this blog, but I’m willing to take the risk. Do you know who said, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels?” Someone we should all take dieting and healthy-living advice from – Kate Moss, of course.

I read the quote the other day and my initial reaction was disgust. How dare she! What about all the young girls and women who struggle with their weight? How are they supposed to interpret these words? And then I read about a person who lost 375 pounds after someone told him to eat less. He did. He thought about portion control. And he ate less. And he exercised. And he lost weight. And now he's an inspiration to others and healthy.

Please, don’t write the angry comment yet! I realize there are circumstantial and health considerations that make it very difficult for some people to lose weight. We have busy schedules- trust me, I know! I have a four-hour commute and fourteen-hour work days are rough. But I also know that getting the Wendy’s double bacon western cheeseburger, fries and a (diet) coke is probably not the best thing on the way home after teaching a class that lets out at 9:00 p.m.  I also know that I need to run and get on the yoga ball more often. I also know that I don’t need the extra calories just because they taste good.

Twenty-four percent of Californians are now considered obese. I suppose that’s good compared to the national statistic of twenty-seven percent. However, the health risks associated with obesity are downright frightening- diabetes, heart disease, joint problems- and the list goes on.

I’m worried for America’s health. I’m worried for the health care reform. But I’m especially worried for the next generation of children, of which one fourth are considered obese. This is a serious matter.

 I’m not saying we all need to be scary skinny like Kate Moss. I’ve been there and done that and the headaches and passing out are terribly inconvenient. But maybe we do need to be more sensible about what we eat. Maybe we need to question why the dinner plate has increased in size and why we need to super-size a meal. Maybe we need to seriously question why physical education has been disappearing from our schools. I had a fifth grader at risk for a heart attack because he ate McDonalds every night. Would daily P.E. have helped him? I’m not sure. But if it might have, isn’t that worth it?

Back to Kate’s quote. I have to admit that I’ve felt the best when training for a marathon and there was a little more space in my jeans and definition in my arms. I admit it felt better to run and not wonder what all the jiggling was from the backside. Before you write the angry comment- I’m not saying we all need to be Kate Moss, but we (I'm taking my own advice) probably need to take better care of ourselves.
 

Jodene

Skirtsetter

writer and assist. prof.