Healthy Starts Here

We’ve all seen those commercials haven’t we? Eat healthy or you’ll gain weight! Get outside and play otherwise it’s offense to a good day! Don’t eat McDonald’s, it’s all about Subway. Vitamin Water is the way to go! This 10 day challenge is easy, as long as you stick to the skim milk…

It seems that all the time now, we hear about how people are taking a stand for better health in the US. That’s all well and good, but it seems that we’re starting to alienate people pretty badly. What if you’re healthy in your skin? What if you don’t like Subway? What if you just like the taste of a damn chicken sandwich or a big juicy steak?

When did the people who were comfortable in their own skin suddenly become the “odd one out”? This is complete madness, in all senses of the word. Everytime I turn on the TV, I feel somewhat guilty I’m drinking and enjoying this Coca-Cola. If I eat at my college and enjoy something like chicken strips or a personal pizza, I get more looks and stares from the people eating salads and Vitamin water than if I grew a second head spontaneously.

Healthy shouldn’t be about being THIN. There’s a difference between being thin and being healthy, and I think the media and a lot of people have blurred those lines. Just because you’re thin, doesn’t make you healthy. Anorexia is a major problem amongst teens, and they aren’t healthy. Just because you’re heavier then someone else in your class doesn’t make you unhealthy, sometimes you literally are just built bigger then someone else.

We spend a lot of time talking about how the media puts so much pressure on kids on to be successful, be pretty, and how the two HAVE to go hand in hand with each other. They don’t. All right kids? You hear me? THEY. DON’T.

So why am I going on about this? Well, after dinner with my family last night, I found my neice making jokes about “not being able to get rid of the weight”. Ok class, she’s almost 8 years old. She’s stick thin already. Sure, she’s a kid, she could just be joking…but, that begs the question of “Where did she pick that up from?” It’s certainly not something from the rest of our family, we’re not stick thin models, but we’re always comfortable with ourselves.

So I coupled this idea with my own feelings when I watch TV. What if she’s picking it up from the TV? What if all those damn commercials of “healthy kids start here” and all that jazz are making kids feel insecure? I’m sure that if a TV can make a 21 yr old feel insecure, I’m almost positive it can do it to an 8 year old.

This is when all that “healthy coverage” needs to stop. You commercial coverages need to CUT. IT. OUT. Seriously. What good is a healthy body, if you’re not mentally healthy with yourself or your image? Is it really good for your kids to worry about the calorie count of their dinner? They're kids! Do you know what I worried about when I was 8? If the yellow Power Ranger was better than the pink Ranger. It’s time to let kids be kids.

“But I want my kids to be healthy!” you say? Here’s an easy solution. Instead of bugging your school about taking sodas and candy out of school, tell your school to re-instate recess! Recess has all but been obliterated in schools all over the country. Now they half of what they used to be years ago. Hmm… we ate fast food all these years without kids gaining weight, but suddenly now we are? Surely it has NOTHING to do with the loss of one of the biggest outlets of child activity in school… /sarcasm

Here’s something for all you Vitamin buffs who think you’re great for the various foods you eat. Just to show you that you’re not better than the guy enjoying a pizza. That you don’t have to give people a nasty look just because they don’t like salads.

Vitamin Water is owned by Glaceau. Glaceau is owned by none other than the Coca-Cola company. While vitamins sounds good for you, did you know the average US man or woman already consumes MORE than what is recommended for their daily vitamins? In fact, the only Vitamin we don’t consume a lot of, is Vitamin E. Also, Vitamin E is considered “fat-soluble”. In other words if you drink Vitamin E alone, it will either be barely absorbed, if at all. Vitamin E is most absorbed when eating a meal. In fact, these vitamins aren’t the only thing in vitamin water you don’t need, it comes with sugar too. Sugar that has even been suggested as being addictive.

Hm… sounds like my Coca-Cola actually; Filled with stuff I don’t need. In fact, Vitamin water is often considered a “soft drink” by many scientists.

Well at least Coca-Cola tastes good.

Oh and as for the salads. Iceberg lettuce, croutons, cheese and dressing all ruin the healthiness of a salad significantly. So if you just eat it dry (oh yum~) you’ll be fine. Hmm…dry salad, no croutons, ranch, or cheese? Might as well eat the clippings out of my lawnmower bag; sounds just as yummy. (then again, I personally do not find any salad satisfying)

Subway can even be just as bad for you as Taco Bell if you don’t eat in moderation. You don’t think Jared just lost the weight by EATING Subway do you? No! He rigorously exercised too.

Ok, did I offend a bunch of healthy eaters? Probably. So, here’s the deal. Everything in moderation is what’s good for you. All you people who believe you have to force someone to be skinny to be healthy, go away. Being comfortable and happy with yourself is the REAL healthiness.