With spring nipping at our heels the outdoors beckons.
Go for it.
At the Register, our employee makeup is trending younger. If you don’t think it makes a difference, listen to their conversations.
“I ran three miles — without stopping.”
“When’s the next half marathon? I need a new goal.” (May 4 — Wichita’s Prairie Spirit.)
“The rail trail is great these days.”
“The new gym on the square provides day care.”
It’s not uncommon for a reporter to take a midday workout, knowing he or she has an evening commitment to cover either a sports event or civic meeting of some sort.
In the absence of our big printing press we’ve tinkered with putting in workout equipment such as a treadmill and exercise bike. Maybe in addition to getting the heart pumping it will help get some creative juices flowing.
The fitness bug can be contagious. What we need is an epidemic.
According to the most recent Gallup poll, almost 40 percent of Americans are overweight with another 27 percent being severely overweight or obese.
The one sliver of good news is that among children, obesity rates have declined over the last decade. Whether they can keep on the track of healthy eating and exercise is the unknown. It’s adults, those between 45 and 64, who typically experience the greatest increase in weight gain.
OBESITY is as much of a public health concern as smoking, diabetes or cancer because of the costs it incurs on the health system as a whole. Nearly 21 percent of U.S. medical costs can be attributed to obesity, according to research released by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Annual health costs related to obesity are nearly $200 billion.
Being severely overweight takes a toll on the joints resulting in premature knee and hip replacements. It’s also associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and is linked to cancers of the breast, colon, pancreas and thyroid.
