Today obesity is said to be the number one, or close to it, health problem in our society. If we do not believe obesity is a problem, just look around us. It is amazing on the “Price is Right” TV program how many of the persons who lumber down the aisle to play the game are really obese. There are many other examples that may come to your mind.

Michelle Obama has taken on this obesity problem especially in regard to the children. Somehow we need to get the children physically active. Schools have eliminated recess. To have a 50-minute unstructured time for children to play has been disregarded. Many of you my age remember we played football, softball and other physical games during big recess. We played hard because we were not forced. It is amazing how much energy we expend when it is spent doing what we like or want to do.

Today the first thing that gets cut in our schools is physical education. Physical activity enhances our intellectual abilities. Today our young people eat and eat and play computer games, which in my opinion is great for their brains, but not so good for their physical bodies. Somehow a balance has to be sought.

In all the areas of our lives we see obesity. Our national, state, county and city budgets and debt are obese. We need a change of attitude. Not just our food diets, but all areas of our lives can be an unhealthy addiction, if we are not careful.

Our foreparents knew how to squeeze everything out of what they had and make it go far.

In our throw-away society we do not know how to be thrifty. Their philosophy was, “It’s not what you have, but what you do with it.” This way of thinking may take a little work (physical and intellectual activity.)

We waste too much. What has this to do with obesity? Well, we need to cut the fat nationally all the way down to the individual. It is a group project.

An example of waste occurred when by mistake, we failed to report an item on our IRS report. We sent a check for the tax and penalty. A few days later we received a check from the IRS for the same amount.Then we got a letter from the IRS stating we needed to pay the amount they had requested by a certain date or else. Well, to make a long story short, we finally got it resolved. The left hand did not know what the right hand was doing. What a waste in time, money, and effort.

Obesity, then, comes in all forms. Hopefully our children’s attitudes will change individually and it will carry throughout every aspect of their lives.

This man and woman at the dining table were eating TV dinners. The man said to his wife, “I’ve eaten so many TV dinners, I’m starting to feel like I’m in show business.”

Have a good week.