Wow.
I don’t know what to say to this. Part of me can absolutely believe it, and part of me is just amazed at how important this is. I feel like we are so far behind I can’t believe it.
Do you know how much energy we have put into educating people about the harmful effects of smoking? If you haven’t thought about it in a while, take a moment now to remember what life was like only a few decades ago: when “smoking or non?” was the question rather than “paper or plastic?” (In California, even the paper/plastic choice is changing to “donate or take off” for your cloth bag.)
Did you realize that if we continue as we have been going, smoking won’t seem so bad when we compare it to the mass casualty effects of obesity?
Recent U.S. trends in smoking and obesity have moved in opposite directions: over the past 15 years, smoking rates have declined by 20%, whereas obesity rates have increased by 48%.15
This means, of course, that all the work that went into changing public perception of smoking as completely unhealthy won’t matter if we keep eating ourselves to death.
Wow.
Either one is a time bomb: smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, and several cancers. Obesity leads to cardiovascular disease, [type 2] diabetes, and joint problems.
Yuck.
As someone living with type one diabetes I don’t understand stacking the deck against myself with something I can do something about. I try to eat right to keep my weight in check, and I exercise to combat a possible future of cardiovascular disease. I don’t smoke and never have. Having experienced a body attacking itself, I want to do everything in my power to prevent another malfunction.
I do what I can with what I’ve got: I’m all about maximizing my abilities every day. I think we all should remember our survival instinct and really spend some time every day moving toward HEALTH.
The study also published another amazing prediction: if all U.S. adults became normal-weight nonsmokers, life expectancy could increase by 3.76 years.
What would YOU do with those extra 3.76 years? Let’s find out.
If you need some help with getting fit but don’t know where to turn, let me know. We can work together to get you a plan and keep you working at it!
