Can Good Health Be the New Normal? For so many recent years, particularly since World War II, people in the US have become less healthy and less fit overall. This is partly because of the plethora of office and clerical jobs rather than physical jobs, as well as an abundance of leisure time.
It is also because of the food industry and the packaging of foods for transport and storage. There are a lot of added fats and sugars as well as preservatives that were not around before WW2. Some of these are good and useful. Others are detrimental to our health. The amount of excess sugars in foods has become its own epidemic and has been determined to be the cause of a lot of the chronic health problems that we face.
In addition, the fast food industry has been convenient but unhealthy for a lot of people. Cheap, greasy burgers and french fries are the norm and they are particularly unhealthy. Additives have been included to make the food taste better.
Pre-packaged and processed foods have multiplied in the stores, also with additives to permit long term storage. These are not necessarily healthy.
We have become what people in Europe call us: The Balloon People, because of our size and shape – large, round and roly-poly.
Some of that is changing. Many people are becoming more health conscious about what they eat. They have started to read and even understand food labels and to be more aware of what they are eating. Sugar has become a demon and many of us are on the watch for it.
Even the Government’s “My Plate” nutrition chart has become more sensible.
Books like The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner are being read by regular people who have slowly become aware of food and nutrition. In fact, Dan Buettner and his Blue Zones team, have instituted a program to help make large and small municipal jurisdictions more aware of health and fitness. Many of the municipalities are doing something to make public fitness facilities available for their constituents. These are starting to proliferate throughout the country.
The fact is that people are becoming more aware of the health benefits of exercise and good eating habits, and are actually doing something about it. Exercise apps for watches and phones have become prevalent, even in gyms. People are paying more attention to what they eat and how they move.
That’s a positive trend, of course. The trend is beyond its infancy but still in its adolescence. Let’s hope it matures. People are becoming more aware of their own health and their own personal responsibility to maintain their health and fitness.
With better health comes more energy and enthusiasm for life. With more energy and enthusiasm comes a more pleasurable lifestyle and usually, a longer and more productive life. That’s what most of us really want, particularly as Seniors. We want to be happy, healthy, useful and productive.
So, if you’re not already doing it, start following the trend toward good health and fitness. It’s there for the taking. Good health and fitness can easily become the new normal if we do our part. It’s easy enough do. Just start. If you’re already doing it, keep up the good work.
Thank you for reading.