Interesting Info
Dear Fit.net members:
My first newsletter pointed out the dangers of
National health data shows that as a nation we have more body fat and type II diabetes now than at any other time in history. Put another way, our nutrition and physical activity behaviors have never been worse. Every year when we get new national data, we are worse. Next year will be no different. We’ll set a new record for fatness. A peek into the future suggests that the average lifespan in the
But this trend doesn’t have to continue. KCFit.net and I believe that with education, motivation, the right tools, and environmental changes, we can stop and even reverse this trend toward poor health.
Each week I travel across this great country speaking about the importance of healthy living. I see corporations, schools, church groups, and individuals who have figured this out. These groups have worked with local restaurants, cafeterias, food vendors and fitness centers to make it easier to eat right and get regular physical activity. They get local PTA’s, parents, and state and city governments to adopt rules and policies that support healthy behaviors. Something as simple as a neighborhood walking trail can impact a whole community. They even put pressure of fast food companies to start offering healthier selections. One large company sponsors a large farmer’s market in their parking lot each Friday.
Best of all I hear from individuals who have successfully made lifestyle changes. Despite pressures to eat too much unhealthy foods and not exercise, they change. One man wrote to tell me that his family has a history of type II diabetes. His blood sugar level was at 160 (clinically diabetic). After three months of healthy eating and 30 minutes of walking every day he had lost 35 pounds and his diabetes had disappeared. What did he do? He simply took control. He made walking every morning a habit. He takes his dog with him…they both love it. He also started eating healthier foods and watching how much he was eating. He admitted to me that over time he had become accustomed to eating portion sizes that were way more than what he really needed. Now he looks great and feels great. He’s bucking the trend. What he thought was a family history of diabetes was really just a family that all shared the same unhealthy lifestyle.
In addition in individual success stories, I’ve been able to publish scientific studies that show what happens to large groups of people when they all start living healthier lives. Blood pressures improve by 10 points on average. Cholesterol goes down. Weight is lost. Fitness improves. These groups even experience dramatic reductions in depression. As they adopt new lifestyles, they experience a transformation that affects them physically, mentally, and emotionally. My research is just a tiny fraction of what we really know about the powerful connections between good health and healthy behaviors. The challenge is to narrow the cap between what we know and what we actually do.
We’re all great at making excuses and it’s easy to try to do too much too soon.
To Your Health,
Dr. Steven Aldana
President of www.Wellsteps.com