Family Fitness
April 20, 2006 by kate baggott
Filed under Health
I have been slightly-overweight for much of my life (10 to 20 lbs). As shocking as it might sound, it has not ruined my life as a woman. I am healthy and active, I’ve many friends, I have adorable children and a really hot husband.
That said, I no longer spend two hours a day at the gym. Some day, when my post partum hips get back into their joints completely, I’ll go back. Until then, I like long walks, yoga and swimming with the kids. The baby and I start our swim class next Thursday. That said, I am always looking for new ideas for our family to do together, so I am excited about Family Energy Magazine.
As long as their focus is on fun and fit, I am happy. As soon as they start talking about the epidemic of childhood obesity, I am not reading. You know, here in Europe, there is so much media coverage on how fat North Americans are that I was surprised at how fit and trim everyone looked when I was at home in Canada last month. Either Canadians are generally as fit as Germans, or they’re just as fat.
Walks, yoga and swimming seems like a lot of exercise to me already! (but that may be because I don’t do much at all myself…)
Maybe Canadians looked fit because you expected everyone to look very fat, and it wasn’t that bad. I’ve definitely noticed more overweight people in North America, especially people who are hugely overweight, even kids. I don’t remember seeing anyone in Europe who couldn’t fit on a bus seat designed for two people because they were too wide, but here it’s happened more than once. But things are going the same way in Europe as well,
You know, I think I was expecting people to be universally heavier, but they weren’t. I have seen some very obese people here in Germany and, shockingly, even in France (albeit Alsace).
But you know what makes my heart break? When I see overweight kids at the pool alone on the weekend. I see them taking control of their lives and making an effort to be active, normal kids. I still wish their parents would go too to support their children’s efforts.
On average, people ARE universally heavier here in the states. There are overweight people in Canada too , but I looked at the stats once many years ago and it wasn’t nearly as bad as down here – maybe it has changed?
But in all my years in hospitals in Canada I never ONCE saw the double wheelchairs they have all over the place here. Then again, I was in Montreal the last 15, the land of smokers and super skinny people! It is very sad here to see SO many people who are grossly overweight- especially the kids.
I visited Atlanta and felt bad for everyone, but I don’t think it was their fault. Looking for lunch, the only green option was collard greens or okra swimming in fat!
Double wheelchairs? That is sad. Did you see the Star article about the study that found US fast food is fattier than that of other countries? Here’s the link:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1145225411130&call_pageid=968867505381&col=969048872038