Fit-to-Fat-to-Fit Blog: We’re #1 again

Guess what?  We’re #1 again. Yup. And it’s not a good thing. Mississippi is the fattest state in the nation according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I know, I know —  you’re shocked. You want to know how bad it is?

Over one out of three Mississippians are now obese (34.9%). Not just overweight. OBESE.  And before you start making Mississippi jokes, this is a nationwide epidemic. No state is under 20%.

And you know what’s worse?  It’s getting worse. Look at these shocking changes from 1985 until today. Today’s thinnest state (Colorado) would have been the fattest back then.  We’re like fat frogs slowly boiling in a pot. And the problem (like our waistlines) is getting slowly bigger. We’re quietly eating and sitting our way into the grave.

And we wonder why the cost of healthcare is going through the roof.

The cost of treating the effects of obesity alone is alarming.  In 2008 alone, Mississippi spent $900 million to treat obesity. That’s nearly a billion dollars that could go to education, infrastructure or another whole host of needs.  But instead, we spend it on treating diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer and other diseases brought on by excess fat.

While I doubt Ben Franklin was much of a runner, his saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” applies here. We have to take control of our weight. We have to stop this obesity epidemic.

But here’s the rub:  Only one person can do that.  Only one person can make you take control of your own health. Not the government. Not your spouse. Not your best friend. Not your preacher, priest or rabbi. Not your personal trainer. Not your doctor. Not Mayor Bloomberg. No, that one person is you.

It’s not easy. Trust me, change never is. But there is a huge payoff in the end. Think of it as a pot of good health at the end of the hard work rainbow.

That’s why I am writing this blog. I’ve dropped 50 pounds this year after gaining 50 the previous year. I decided I didn’t like the direction my life was going and took control of my weight. I changed how I eat. I started exercising again.  And as a result, my life has become healthier and happier because of it.

The first step in finding a solution is admitting you have a problem. We have a problem. I’m committed to not being a part of it any more. I celebrated Mississippi being #1 on the obesity index again by running 5.30 miles this morning.  I’m never gaining back the weight again.

Good luck if you decide to no longer be a statistic.  You don’t have to become a marathon runner to change your life. You just have to do something. And if you do, I’ll be here to cheer you along the way.