Obesity and Me

As I have been working on this Blog, I have had to come to grips with reality. The reality has to do with how I look, how I feel, confidence, etc.... In researching how to become healthy I have been reading a variety of articles. The toughest to read so far was on Obesity. I ran across a page with a little calculator to determine Body Mass, a tool used for a variety of purposes, but one that can also warn you if you are becoming overweight, or moving on to Obesity. A score between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. a score of 30 or higher is Obese. My score came in at 30. My reality is I am by definition Obese. That is a hard word to swallow. If your interested in determining your BMI check out American Obesity Association Web Site and punch in your numbers.

Even tougher to deal with is the impact that obesity can have on you. Those who are obese greatly decrease their life span, are at an increased risk for Type II Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, and Osteoarthritis. As a Nursing Home Administrator I see the results of these diseases everyday, and I don't want to be impacted by them. Beyond the Health Issues related to Obesity there are the Social and Emotional Issues that hit. Low endurance, feelings of shame and guilt, embarrassment, can cause us to feel like pulling away from relationships that we need. Depression is high for those who are obese for many obvious reasons.

I have just tipped the scale into Obesity and am now faced with a choice: Do I keep living the way I am living, or do I start fighting the battle to live healthy? At 180lbs and 5'11" I am no longer considered overweight. Losing 50 pounds is all it takes. If I can sidestep the above diseases and an early death it seems an easy decision to make. I am going to Battle On to become Healthy in an unhealthy world