A shocking recent Michigan State University report showed that only 3 percent of Americans have a healthy lifestyle. While I have only anecdotal evidence, the percentage may be even lower among Latter-day Saints. We’ve got to do better.
The first question is, of course, by what criteria? The MSU study had four categories: 1)whether or not you smoke 2)whether or not you have a healthy weight 3)whether or not you eat five servings a day of fruits and veggies 4)whether or not you exercise five times a week for 30 minutes each time.
The results: 76 percent of Americans don’t smoke, 40 percent maintain a healthy weight, 23 percent eat enough fruit and veggies, 22 percent exercise five times a week for 30 minutes each time. If you take all of these groups together, only 3 percent do all four, 14 percent do three of four and 34 percent two of four. A healthy lifestyle was indicated by doing all four.
Matthew Reeves, the lead researcher at MSU, said he was “shocked” by the results, which were compiled using survey data of more than 150,000 Americans by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. He expected the numbers to be at least 15 percent for all four, not 3 percent.
OK, now think about the people in your ward: how many of them do you think do four of four or even three of four? Probably not very many.
Personally, I only do three of four: I don’t smoke, I have a healthy weight and I exercise five days a week for at least 30 minutes. But I don’t eat five servings a day of fruits and veggies (more like two or three). Note: I’m not sure what the definition is of a “serving,” but I’m guessing they’re saying we should eat fruit for breakfast, a small salad and vegetable for lunch and a small salad and vegetable for dinner. Having a large salad for lunch or dinner probably counts for two or three servings alone.
Now, for the slings and arrows. There have been recent studies showing that being 10-20 pounds overweight may be healthier than being at your ideal weight. And of course a world full of cynics has grabbed onto this as sure evidence that it’s okay to be overweight. Look, folks, basic logic declares that our generation is heavier than it should be. Just go rent a movie made in the 1930s and compare the body types then to the body types now. Heck, even take a look at a movie from the 1950s. Face it: we are a fat generation, and it’s killing us.
Here’s my point: it’s great that we Latter-day Saints (mostly) follow the word of wisdom. But we are supposed to treat our bodies as temples. Temples are sleek and beautiful. And too many of us aren’t. We need to do a better job in all areas of the church in emphasizing personal health, fitness and diet. We need to eat a lot less fat and sugar. In short, we need to shape up.
One last point: 4.2 percent of women hit all four indicators, but only 1.9 percent of men did. We are definitely the weaker sex.