Hold the butter, hide the remote

America the brave or America the fat? Our country, built on the notion of hard work and independent drive, has eaten itself into an epidemic.

Whether you’re a person who blames the fast food industry, the way we raise our cattle, or the chemicals sprayed on our produce, one thing is for sure — a big chunk of what our nation consumes is clogging our arteries and ruining lives.

Over the years we’ve tried the Atkins diet and counting calories. We’ve tried meal replacement bars and the little microwavable meals.

With 72 million fat people reclining on couches waiting for another round of salty snacks while watching reruns of the Simpsons, it might take an emergency room visit to force us into changing our sedentary lifestyle.

A lifestyle filled with calories and cholesterol is reminiscent of what the writers of Pixar’s Wall-E predicted. Our collective wealth has paid for our conveniences while taking a toll on our health.

While a gardener (not you) mows the lawn on a bright and beautiful Saturday morning, you’re scouring the fridge looking for the cheese, eggs, sausage and bacon to make the world’s greatest omelet.

A walk to the park to play a family softball game has turned into a drive to the movies to indulge in salty popcorn and sweet treats.

If the scale tilts too far to the right, then consider a change in lifestyle.

We should feel inspired by what SAC student Eric Carltock has achieved. He had the audacity to view himself objectively and make a critical decision with regard to his health. He morphed from a 300-pound obese person into someone strong, active, and confident.

GET OFF THE COUCH – GET MOVING

We are an obese country with unhealthy habits, but it’s possible to avoid the perfect storm of on-screen diversions and a high-fat, high-sugar, high-sodium diet. Go out, get moving and like that retro pop song says, get physical.

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