Age with as little pain, physical disease and discomfort as possible. Wow. There's a title worthy of a mouthful to digest. And yet, how many of us really care about the above statement? Enought to actually do something about it? All of us do stupid things or make unintelligent decisions in our lifetimes. I can think of three of them I would not have done in life if I could turn back the hands of time. (No, they aren't felonies. Stop guessing. I'm not telling you.) What really pushes the needle off the dumbass charts is ignoring the facts when they are right in front of you as plain as daylight. Your health and wellness is the most important part of your life. Why needlessly throw it away with reckless abandon?

Look at some of the people around you. One would be led to believe they think their bodies and lives were meant to be lived with the pedal to the metal and their hair on fire. Vital information staring them right in the face, and they deliberately choose to ignore it. Right up to the point where they hit the brick wall and point fingers at others because it must be someone else’s fault. 

Fox Network Morning Blathering Gabfest ran an interesting segment earlier in the week during their discussion of health care reform. About how much money the U.S. spends in costs related to obesity and illnesses related to it, and how the funds could be spent elsewhere in health care. 

Here’s a revealing figure, taken from healthaffairs.org - http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2009/07/29/obesity-spending-estimated-at-147-billion-annually/?source=promo

Medical spending on conditions associated with obesity has doubled in the past decade and is estimated to have reached an annual rate of $147 billion in 2008, say researchers in a new study published July 27 on the Health Affairs Web site. The study was presented at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Weight of the Nation” conference in Washington, where the CDC issued 24 new recommendations on how communities can fight back.

Ever notice the healthy ones who keep themselves fit aren’t the ones complaining about the health care system? Aren’t the ones pointing fingers at President Obama and Congress to do something about it? How about YOU do something about it? Take a wild stab at it . . . leading a healthier nutritious lifestyle, including physical fitness? After all, it wasn’t the President and the 535 members of Congress that forced you to eat your way to record setting waistlines.

And don’t get me started on this “I deserve to treat myself, I was good this week.” Who in the hell are you bargaining with?

A smoker says, “I haven’t smoked in seven days. I knew I could quit. I’m treating myself to a cheat day this weekend. Smoke as much as I want, I was good and I deserve it.” How much sense does that make?

An alcoholic says, “I made it! Haven’t had a drink in seven days! I worked hard at it, I deserve a treat. I’m going clubbing and getting my drink on. Besides, it’s only a couple beers. I can handle it.” Really? (True story. Someone from the gym who is an alcoholic went out with a few friends who told him he wasn’t supposed to drink. He said he could handle it. After all, it was only two beers. Long story short, alcohol and drugged himself high, right out of a good paying steady job. How much sense does that make?)

If the above two examples don’t make sense, why do people convince themselves the huge, intensive, ‘Oh, God, that was hard, how will I ever recover’ effort they put in over a blink of an eye time span deserves their original, horrible eating habits that deteriorated their health and wellness in the first place?

You want to lie to yourselves, go right ahead. Wait until your first major health scare. Or second. Or third. Better yet, go to your local pharmacy. Watch some of the people that frequent the place, constantly refilling prescriptions in order to get thru their day. Is that who you want to be in your advancing years? Taking pills every three hours or less, where the side effects are worst than the original reason you are taking the pills? 

Check out some of the facts and figures here - http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/booksellers/press_release/critser/

You want to self medicate yourself to a quicker grave? Be my guest. Don’t expect the rest of us to carry you and your pine box for you.