Obesity and Our Destiny

"Human beings are meant to be lean, 

muscular, athletic creatures.”

                                         –Charles Poliquin

 The Yardstick
 One day I was listening to the world renowned strength-coach, Charles Poliquin’s pod-cast, and heard a profound statement: “human beings are meant to be lean, muscular, athletic creatures.”  How strange a statement? Since the obesity rate, according to the CDC for 2010 is anywhere between 21-34%, depending upon which state you live in, and that number is rising!  Indiana ranks among the most obese state at 29.6%.  Obesity is measured by the body mass index (BMI) and the calculation is done by taking (weight in pounds x 703) divided by (height in inches squared).  BMI Online Calculation

The Accuracy

               This calculation only tells part of the story. Obesity is linked to an increased risk of many diseases ranging from diabetes to cancer, and from heart disease to gallbladder disease. On the other hand, the BMI calculation cannot read lean mass to fat mass ratios. It does not go any further than a simple calculation. Many athletes today could be considered “obese” because their lean muscle tissues cause them to weigh more than they “should” according to the BMI.  On the same token, many people can weigh the correct amount according to the BMI but have such low amounts of muscle tissue that their fat percentage is above where they should be. Knowing where you stand is an invaluable tool in measuring your health and fitness. Getting a simple skin fold test by a personal trainer can give you much more information about yourself. The procedure is painless and takes only five minutes to complete. Please stop by a training desk or contact me at adossey@lifetimefitness.com so I can schedule a time for the measurement with one of our trainers.

The Issue

               In 1950, the obesity rate in America was only 9.7%. A far cry from today’s 21-34%.  We are meant to be lean, muscular, athletic creatures after all.  What in the world has gone wrong?  Many people start throwing around the “L” word, as in Lazy, but the problem is we are “working” way more hours now than we ever have. There are cell phones, e-mails, texting, Facebook, and deadlines/goals to meet at work.  The bachelor’s degree holds about as much clout as a high school diploma did back in 1950, so we are progressively increasing our work load as time goes on.  I hardly think the word “lazy” should be associated with our culture.  We of course sit more, drive more, and exercise less as a whole, but we have an estimated 100x more stress than our grandparents.  With that stress comes more fat???  What else do we have more of than our grandparents?  Try pollution and toxins exposure, pesticides and antibiotics in our food, as well as hormones added to our meats.  What about less sleep, more work, and less play?  Can all of these factors be leading us to more obesity?   What about the classic food pyramid, starches are at the bottom, and proteins, oils, and dairy are at the top.

The Insanity

               Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”   HELLO! KNOCK KNOCK America!  Eating cereal and bagels for breakfast and pasta for dinner isn’t working!  Ordering a chicken salad “hold the chicken please, I’ve already had my 3 servings of meat for today, but I could use a potato on the side” isn’t working!  How do we become like what Charles Poliquin said we are supposed to be: lean, muscular, athletic creatures.

               Einstein would say do something different.  There was a time when we were lean, muscular, athletic creatures, so why can’t we live like that? “Our culture” you say?  Well of course there are too many external factors effecting our health and fitness such as pollution, toxic chemicals, and stress.  Many of these external factors influence our internal functions. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and autism have all been linked to chemicals in our bodies.  Also we are eating an estimated 13 different foods per week, talk about monotony!  We are eating foods that our ancestors did not have access to and many of the foods we eat cause inflammation and allergic responses within our gut.  Many adults have food sensitivities to dairy and 33% of the population is sensitive to gluten.  We are eating foods that cause inflammation and immune responses in our bodies that cause us to be under more stress, feel less motivated to be active, and create sleepless nights which lead to hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, and sugar cravings. 

The Cure

               Take charge of your health America, and live the life you were supposed to live!  Be happy, lean, muscular, athletic, inspired, motivated, and joyful!  Educate yourself on how to achieve the goals and dreams you have always wanted.  Attend a class, listen to an expert in the field give a lecture, and research things on your own. 

Dossey Training Systems has the answers and tools you seek. We will create a customized plan for you to reach all of your goals. A customized nutrition plan will help to create a healthy life style. Anaerobic (weight lifting) and aerobic exercises such as basketball, racquetball, swimming, Zumba, kickboxing, Pilates, and yoga can be wonderful cardio strengthening activities to incorporate exercise into your everyday life. DTS will provide you with all of the tools to meet your goals. DTS will support you and help guide you while you begin to adjust and see the benefits of your new life style. Life time health and fitness is the goal that we want all of our clients to experience. Let Dossey Training Systems help and support you while you work to meet your goal. With us you will succeed.