Contributor: “Dr. J”Dr. J offers his irreverent, slightly irrelevant, but possibly useful opinions on health and fitness. A Florida surgeon and fitness freak with a black belt in karate, he runs 50 miles a week and flies a Cherokee Arrow 200.
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Years ago, Ralph Nader wrote the classic expose’ “Unsafe At Any Speed,” revealing the inherent dangers of automobile designs at the time. This information led to many safety changes, such as seatbelts, that are now standard features in our automobiles.
It seems that our polemic consumer advocate is taking on a new area this holiday season, where the consumer is unsafe because of no speed, the lack of physical activity in our lives!
“Americans, by and large, suffer not only from a lack of civic engagement, but also a lack of physical engagement, leading to an epidemic of obesity and all the medical problems that go along with it,” Nader states, referring to his political origins. “Maybe this Thanksgiving consider starting a new family tradition, one of activity and engagement.”
He is concerned with all the alternative forms of entertainment, especially for children, and our increased obsession with watching televised sports, which offers no opportunity for movement except perhaps that run to the kitchen or bathroom during timeouts or halftime, rather than all of us participating in sports.
For children, there is now the computer game rather than the pick-up game with friends, and required physical education in schools is a dwindling resource as it is being replaced with questionable courses on passing standardized tests.
Since the holidays is a time when families traditionally get together, Nader is suggesting that this is the perfect opportunity to reintroduce activity into our lives.
“Instead of sitting around the television, try stepping outside and engaging in some friendly competition. Consider a return to tradition, especially during the holiday season, to help build and foster relationships amongst family members and encourage interaction amongst neighbors. Whether it’s a game of touch football or merely shooting some hoops in front of the garage or playing catch, a little exercise with friends and family can go a long way toward a healthier life.”
My feelings about Ralph Nader have varied over the years. I respected and was in awe at his sincere commitment to safety with his early efforts. Some of his later forays into the political arena gave me more ambivalent emotions. There is no question for me in strongly agreeing, however, with his most recent concerns about the health and wellness of our populace and the importance of adding more physical activity to our lives.
I hope, as with the automobile, that we will all become safer because of it!
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Unsafe At No Speed: Ralph Nader Takes On America’s Lack of Physical Activity is a post from: CalorieLab - Health News & Information Blog
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