|
|
|
This week, a study found that Kansans were growing obese at a faster rate than all but three states. Oklahoma, Alabama and Tennessee not only take the cake, but eat it, and then look for some more cake.
But while it is some measure of relief not to see the state in the top three states becoming fattest the fastest nor in the top 15 fattest states overall, there is a lot of concern by what the numbers do show some flabby facts about the state.
Kansas, although called the Sunflower State, may as well be called the Flower State, since more and more people haven’t seen the sun and the outdoors in days or weeks. The state still ranks the fourth highest rate of increase in obesity, and went from 36th in obesity 15 years ago to 16th.
The problem with obesity, like so many problems, is it’s not exactly a thing that can be defeated and then ignored. Once one does what is necessary to no longer be obese and to no longer be overweight, it then becomes a daily task of maintaining a healthy weight.
But that is not an excuse for not trying. Obesity in itself is a problem, but it is also a gateway to so many other long-term health issues that can consume time, money and worry from a person’s life.
All that leads up to a serious need to take the state of our obesity statistics as a call to action. Action, that is, in more ways than one.
One way to get the pounds down is to eat healthier foods. And in a land rich with good farmland, there should really be no excuse for finding fresh produce. In fact, visit the local farmer’s market, whether in Girard or Pittsburg. Or visit Frontenac Bakery or any number of home-grown and generally healthy locales.
Another way to keep from adding another notch to your belt is to exercise. There are plenty of great opportunities to exercise outdoors, including Wilderness Park, several Mined Land Wildlife Areas, a 23rd Street Bike Park, Pittsburg State’s walking trail, a new Watco Trail crossing half of Pittsburg, outdoors basketball courts, and so on and so on.
But maybe you don’t want to exercise outdoors and like the feeling of air conditioning as you sweat off those pounds. Well, there’s plenty of places to do that, too: the Pittsburg Family YMCA, the Pittsburg State Student Recreation Center, the new Frontenac exercise facility, etc.
There’s plenty of reasons why Kansans are putting on pounds, but there’s no excuse, at least in these parts, why those pounds can’t come right off.
The area offers plenty of alternatives, opportunities and support to keep Kansas from being the Sunflower Weight. The least we can do is take advantage of what’s available to fight a battle against obesity.
By Andrew Nash, for the Morning Sun.
This week, a study found that Kansans were growing obese at a faster rate than all but three states. Oklahoma, Alabama and Tennessee not only take the cake, but eat it, and then look for some more cake.
But while it is some measure of relief not to see the state in the top three states becoming fattest the fastest nor in the top 15 fattest states overall, there is a lot of concern by what the numbers do show some flabby facts about the state.
Kansas, although called the Sunflower State, may as well be called the Flower State, since more and more people haven’t seen the sun and the outdoors in days or weeks. The state still ranks the fourth highest rate of increase in obesity, and went from 36th in obesity 15 years ago to 16th.
The problem with obesity, like so many problems, is it’s not exactly a thing that can be defeated and then ignored. Once one does what is necessary to no longer be obese and to no longer be overweight, it then becomes a daily task of maintaining a healthy weight.
But that is not an excuse for not trying. Obesity in itself is a problem, but it is also a gateway to so many other long-term health issues that can consume time, money and worry from a person’s life.
All that leads up to a serious need to take the state of our obesity statistics as a call to action. Action, that is, in more ways than one.
One way to get the pounds down is to eat healthier foods. And in a land rich with good farmland, there should really be no excuse for finding fresh produce. In fact, visit the local farmer’s market, whether in Girard or Pittsburg. Or visit Frontenac Bakery or any number of home-grown and generally healthy locales.
Another way to keep from adding another notch to your belt is to exercise. There are plenty of great opportunities to exercise outdoors, including Wilderness Park, several Mined Land Wildlife Areas, a 23rd Street Bike Park, Pittsburg State’s walking trail, a new Watco Trail crossing half of Pittsburg, outdoors basketball courts, and so on and so on.
But maybe you don’t want to exercise outdoors and like the feeling of air conditioning as you sweat off those pounds. Well, there’s plenty of places to do that, too: the Pittsburg Family YMCA, the Pittsburg State Student Recreation Center, the new Frontenac exercise facility, etc.
There’s plenty of reasons why Kansans are putting on pounds, but there’s no excuse, at least in these parts, why those pounds can’t come right off.
The area offers plenty of alternatives, opportunities and support to keep Kansas from being the Sunflower Weight. The least we can do is take advantage of what’s available to fight a battle against obesity.
By Andrew Nash, for the Morning Sun.
