The Fitness Craze
Aug/Wednesday/2012
The world today is Fitness Crazy in a way that has made the industry grow by leaps and bounds during the last ten to fifteen years. The industry is growing continually and may never stop. Many people view fitness as a major contributor to a healthy way of life.
People begin a fitness program for many reasons. Two of the major reasons are for health or physical appearance. People of all shapes and sizes flock to gyms, YMCA's and specialty health clubs so they can have that so called Hollywood Look. Many of these people become disappointed with the results of fat loss, muscle toning and the many pills that claim to work to eliminate the appetite. Many advertisements glorify the actual effects of such programs.
The amount of dollars spent per year in the industry on gimmicks, claims and equipment have soared over the past 10 years. The last dollar figure made public was over 33 billion, which include products, services and surgeries. Health club memberships have climbed over 50%. The dollars spent on home equipment is over 4.8 billion and over 50,000 people a year turn to surgery. (Snead, "The Truths and Myths of Weight Loss: The Scientific Evidence," preview, on the web).
In our society, many ideas exist concerning physical appearance. Many claims for weight loss and good looks come from gimmicks, diet pills and programs that glorify the actual truth. The claims are based on, having money to stick to it, and a specific life style. Most people do not have the pocketbooks that will out last the time needed for success. Beliefs regarding how we should look are based on the looks of the few people who are found in these advertisements. Most of these individuals have never had a weight problem during their lifetime.
The vast majority of people who try these methods are usually disappointed with the results. The companies are only concerned with making money. Very little thought goes into the disappointment by the individuals that try them. I am one person who knows this disappointment. I have spent thousands of dollars to become thin and healthy. I have tried numerous gimmicks and weight loss programs. They vary from Physicians Weight Loss Centers, Weight Watchers, Nutri System, the doctor supervised Omni Diet and of course numerous over-the-counter diet products. None of which worked for me because I could never afford the food that they wanted to sell me for very long.
All of these suppliers have made claims which link their products to case studies, however, none seem to consider the many overweight people in our society who have medical problems, life style and financial status that may prevent their success. Some of these medical problems can range from diabetes, adrenal gland, thyroid and hormone disorders.
Being healthy is expensive and most annual incomes could never hope to afford this type of expense. The Food and Drug Administration, the Government and the pharmaceutical companies know this. This is why they are trying to take away our right to natural cures. Simple food such as tomato juice, green tropical plants and many others. They want to try and continue to keep us unhealthy and over weight from all the addictive chemicals that is put into our food. Chemicals they say helps prevent spoilage and disease.
Better Homes and Gardens Woman's Health and Medical Guide: has reported many things which regulates a woman's weight and size. The Guide states that metabolism, thyroid disorders, and sugar insulin imbalances can cause excessive weight or under weight in a women. (Patricia J. Cooper, Ph.D. 46, 47, 50, 62, 621).
Do any success claims exist for these people? Of Course, case studies have been performed on such products, but were any of these people over-weight since birth or were they all thin until they had become adults? These are questions we should all ask ourselves before we attempt such programs.
Do we have any research available to the public that exists on those who have been overweight all their lives verses those who have only been a few pounds overweight for only a few years? All the product claims, glorify the product to try to make it better than the next. The results that are produced to satisfy one person may not work for another. If everyone had the money needed to get in shape, they would look good and be healthy. Since this may put many of these businesses out of business, along with the pharmaceutical and food companies, they would not want the majority of the U.S. to be healthy and informed, because healthy people do not need doctors, and doctors prescribe medicines that come from the pharmaceutical company.
What about the many people that become so obsessed by fitness and exercise to the extent that they tend to over work their bodies. The proper amount of exercise along with the proper nutritional diet is the only way to maintain a balance in our bodies. I know, because this has been the only way for me to finally loose my weight. I now bike 20 miles, 3 to 4 times per week, sometimes more.
Money is the key factor, if you have money then you could hire a nutritionist to cook your meals, plan your eating habits and a personal trainer to make sure you stick to your program, never needing any of these so called gimmicks.
In conclusion, eating a healthier and organic/natural diet with regular exercise is the major key to maintaining a healthy body and good looks. Many excuses not to exercise include time and money. In actuality, we need only approximately thirty minutes per day.
Is it Really Medical or is it all about Money?
Jul/Tuesday/2012
If you were one of many thousands whom have heard the old saying that, “Money is the Root of all Evil”, then it would also apply to the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
This being said, I have come across so many individuals who have experiences so many injustices with the medical industry but cannot seem to get the problems corrected. It seems as though the entire field is corrupted because if there is one bad apple the rest refuse to help anyone get it fixed because they do not want to get involved in bad publicity. Well what about the patient who just wants to have the bad botched surgery fixed so that it does not cause constant pain and embarrassments? What about the mental and emotional turmoil that the whole ordeal has created for the patient? Why is protecting a bad apple more important than the patient when I thought they all took a medical Oath? The oath being that they would protect human life at all costs. The oath that doctors take that states the patient’s are the most important thing and that they swore to do everything in their power to create, save and protect human life? Does the Medical Oath mean nothing now days?
The Hippocratic Oath taken directly from Wikipedia:
Classic translation of the English
“I swear by Apollo the Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods, and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant:”
“To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art–if they desire to learn it–without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken the oath according to medical law, but to no one else.”
“I will apply dietic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.”
“I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.”
“I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.”
“Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.”
“What I may see or hear in the course of treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep myself holding such things shameful to be spoken about.”
“If I fulfill this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.”
The Hippocratic Oath (Modern Version)
“I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:
I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.”
“I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of over-treatment and therapeutic nihilism.”
“I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.”
“I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.”
“I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given to me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.”
“I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.”
“I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.”
“I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.”
‘If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.”
The oath both modern and original states that they will keep the patient from harm and injustices and all information private. However, all our information is available to all who work for the government and states, to all whom work for insurance companies and to the pharmaceutical companies. We are forced to sign documents releasing our information to all these people. For one thing how would the pharmaceutical companies be able to send us coupons on different drugs if they did not know we already do or have taken?
Next if the medical industry kept their oath to their patients then anytime one bad apple doctor did something against standard procedure, (especially if it is a elective surgery) then the insurance companies should be made to pay to have it corrected and there should be many doctors willing to correct it. There would be fewer lawsuits if the bad surgeries were just corrected so that the patient did not have to live with pain from the improperly done surgery or the patient did not have to live with the mental and emotional pain of living with the ugliness of it.
This country is falling apart and more rights are giving to the illegal immigrants, the criminals who are proven guilty of rape, murder, and incest than the rights of the natural born citizen and the law-abiding people. There are people out there who have to struggle to pay their own bills when they make enough money that they should never have to struggle but the government feels entitled to their earnings to give to people who do not want to do for themselves. There are a lot of the Nations citizens who do not mind helping those who are disabled and unable to help themselves, those who are elderly and worked their entire lives prior to having difficulties. But helping support Illegals when we struggle ourselves, helping those who continue to have children who cannot afford the ones they have or who feel that the rest of us owe them or to make the medical, pharmaceutical industry rich and not get the kind of care that we deserve, only be pushed all the harmful drugs. Drugs that are made with cleaning products, drugs that are mad with the same chemicals that methanphedophines are made with. These are the things that if the common people mix up they are arrested because it is not legal. Why does the Food and Drug Administration allow companies to put all the chemicals in our food and drugs? These are all the same drugs that the common everyday people get arrested for having possession of. They are a lot of the same drugs that I have read are used to make Meth which the common person is arrested for making or having possession of!
WHY IS THERE A DOUBLE STANDARD all the time? We the people are suppose to run this country but yet we do not have the same rights as the big medical, pharmaceutical companies have! Something is dead wrong with that picture!
Why Can’t Everyone Just Get Along
May/Tuesday/2012
As life goes on and on, some of us wonder why can't everyone just get along! It seems as though some individuals just keep coming up with reasons to fight or wreak havoc on someone else! Reasons like, just because someone’s skin color is different, or because they have different beliefs. Why do we always have to be better then someone else? Why do we always have to be superior or stronger then the next person? Why do those who think they are better than the next person have to be in control? This has been going on for decades! Why is it so important or better yet why does the minority of the population think that they have to be in control or be right when the rest think it is so trivial?
It is so sad there are so many people, corporations, and government that think power/money are more important than life!
Maybe we all should think long and hard about everything before we go to the polls next year. We need to really think what is best for the country instead of what is best for us as individuals! Our country is going to hell in a hand basket very quickly and our children and grandchildren may not have anything to look forward to in their lifetime. The only thing at this present time they have to look forward to is not having any freedoms at all and having more debit than they will ever be able to pay.
Over the last ten-years we have lost our right to privacy, even in our own home or yard we're being watched. Why, as long as we are not abusing someone, (children, elderly, etc.)! We should be left alone from government control, but we are not. There presently are satellites in the sky that record every move we make. We could not go out into our own yards, with a seven-foot high privacy fence, and sunbathing in the nude, if we wanted to with out being watched! This is so sad; that we, the people have let this happen! We just sit back and do not speak out.
The government has taken all our privacies away, they can see us anywhere, take pictures anytime, and invade our lives anytime! Talk about invasion of our privacy! How much of our freedoms are we willing to give up to corporations and the government before we are willing to stand firm. Reminding them that they work for us, we did not elect them to control our every move and tell us that we are not even able to eat the food that we choose, by making dumb laws preventing health advocates from selling us the organic food we want without a darn prescription? Can you believe what we have come to in order that we need a prescription to eat organic foods and supplements? How bizarre is that?
The so called, wholesome country the the US is suppose to have lost all moral standards! Young women (ages under 14) do not seem to care how many different men see them nude, and violate their bodies. Half of them do not even know who their babies' fathers are or even care. Young men the same age, have no sense of responsibility at all for their children. All they want is what they call the fun of the sex! What kind of morals is our country leaving for our children and grandchildren? The babies the 14 year olds and younger are having is the generation that everyone should feel really bad for! We also did not elect any government officials to invade our homes and tell us they know better then we on how to live, teach and raise our children. This should only be done in extreme situations such as abuse, and abuse that can be seen and proven.
People do not care whether or not they hurt, lame or kill others, just as long as they get their way! Our court system does not uphold the laws, they instead mold it to their way of thinking. The Constitution of the United States, the Ten Commandments, (all of which this country was built around) mean absolutely nothing anymore to some.
A lot of the US population, (a larger portion than is ever written about) is sick about the way things are headed, however, no one wants to stand up and be heard by voting for a President that wants to bring back some basic moral values into our country. We need to put into office those officials who believe in how this country was built. The basic moral values that are needed for continued survival of the free United States. This does not mean intimidating anyone who is different then the rest, who chooses a different lifestyle in the confines of their own home or has different religious beliefs as long as they are not hurting anyone but themselves.
We should be able to come together as a country, (in this time of great need) put aside all our differences long enough to make a smart decision in the up coming elections, to choose the candidates that will put the country and our children back on track to a sane and moral society. It's the children who will suffer, we will be dead and gone when this country is destroyed and they will be left to clean up the mess!