Let’s face it. If you’re overweight, you already know it. You also know it isn’t exactly a health condition. In fact, the media [and all your skinny friends] will be the first to tell you that those extra pounds may shorten your life. You could end up with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. Sure, you know all that but that knowledge hasn’t motivated you to drop those extra pounds. Why is that? It’s because the threat isn’t immediate. All those bad things could take place sometime in the distant future.
What about the recent animal [volunteer monkeys] study on diet and longevity? Monkeys on skimpy diets outlived strap on the feed bag comrades. How about living longer and better. Sounds good, but once again it’s sometime in the distant future. Time to turn on the TV and open another bag of chips.
How about a killer flu? That’s the H1N1 swine flu that’s making the rounds this summer. The World Health Organization is worried that this virus will make a big comeback in the fall in a very nasty way. If they are right, millions will die. And, according to a new study, the most likely to catch this virus and die from it are…you guessed it…the obese. People with a BMI over 30 are clinically obese.
To determine your BMI, go to an online BMI calculator. Obese folks are at the highest risk of catching a severe flu because their bodies are overtaxed. That weakens the immune system. Abdominal fat obstructs the diaphragm, limiting the expansion of the lungs and the ability to cough deeply. That encourages viruses to settle in for the long haul…or as long as you last.
The swine flu virus is an immediate threat. This isn’t years down the road. The prevailing scientific opinion is that the H1N1 flu will come back stronger in the fall. You have about three months to drop some weight and strengthen your immune system.
Not sure where to start? Go to the staying fit section of the website. There you’ll find a simple plan to reduce weight and increase strength. If you want more detail, encouragement or handouts, just ask one of the doctors on your next visit to Fink Family Wellness. And while you’re losing weight, don’t forget that chiropractic and acupuncture will also help boost your immune system.
Slimming down and shaping up this year [as opposed to a year in the distant future] may just save your life. If the swine flu peters out this summer and doesn’t return in the fall, who cares? You’ll have the strong, healthy body you’re only daydreaming about right now.
