I can't remember if I've ranted about this before or not, but the exercise/asthma/diabetes monster is rearing its ugly head again.
People who think that because you're fat, or don't exercise, or don't spend hours on a treadmill, or don't "juice", or like sugar in their tea, or prefer to sit on their ass watching TV instead of walking around the neighborhood in bazillion degree weather, you're unhealthy.
Let me tell you something, and this is just my personal experience here: I am fat and I have...wait for it...NOTHING wrong with me.
Well, I do have asthma, but that was diagnosed after a bronchial infection when I was sixteen years old. So I use an inhaler for that. But other than that, which was brought on by nothing I did to myself, I don't take any medications.
None.
Nothing for cholesterol. Nothing for heart. Nothing for depression. Nothing for digestion. Nothing for anxiety. Nothing.
And it really pisses me off when someone thinks I wouldn't have asthma if I just lost some weight. Or they think I'm going to get diabetes just because I'm overweight.
I can give you five names right off the top of my head, of people I personally know, who are of normal weight or less, who have medical issues. Can't digest milk. Have diabetes. Have high cholesterol. Take meds for their heart. Have high blood pressure.
And I hate hearing, from them or people like them, that I should exercise. Why? So I can be skinny and sickly like you?
Let's consider the thin, beautiful, accomplished female celebrities who have asthma (Loni Anderson, Diane Keaton, Sharon Stone, Morgan Fairchild) and diabetes (Halle Berry, Mary Tyler Moore, Vanessa Williams). They have cushy lives, right? All they have to do is show up and read lines. Or the famous men who have asthma (like Kenny G, Billy Joel, Robert Joffrey, Martin Scorsese, Bill Clinton) and diabetes (Nick Jonas, Bret Michaels). They're all in pretty decent shape.
What's their excuse? They're not overweight, probably have trainers, can eat anything they want, can afford the best doctors, health clubs, spas and food. Why do they have diseases?
I'm not saying that everyone who is overweight is healthy. Just like everyone who is not overweight isn't healthy. But I really hate when someone assumes because a person is overweight or doesn't exercise, they're unhealthy. Or their weight has caused their medical condition.
My favorite way to counter this is to point out the athletes who have asthma and diabetes. Because who gets more exercise than them?
Let's take a look at the list...
ATHLETES WHO HAVE ASTHMA
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Four-time Olympian, three-time gold medalist, track
Amy VanDyken: Olympic six-time gold medalist, swimmer
Jerome Bettis: Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back
Paula Radcliffe: British long-distance marathon runner, world record holder
Dennis Rodman: NBA basketball player
Justine Henin: Four-time French Open champion tennis player
Pete Vaderkaay: Gold and bronze medal winning Olympic swimmer
David Beckham: Soccer star
Bruce Davidson: Olympic equestrian
Tom Dolan: Olympic medalist, swimming
Kurt Grote: Olympic medalist, swimming
Nancy Hogshead: Olympic medalist, swimming
Jim "Catfish" Hunter: Professional baseball player
Miguel Indurain: Tour de France winner (5 times) and Olympic champion
Bill Koch: Olympic medalist, cross-country skiing
Greg Louganis: Olympic medalist, diving
Tom Malchow: Olympic medalist, swimming
Debbie Meyer: Olympic medalist, swimming
Art Monk: Professional football player
George Murray: Wheelchair athlete & Boston Marathon winner
Robert Muzzio: Decathlete
Jim Ryun: Olympic medalist, track
Alberto Salazar: Marathon runner
Mark Spitz: Olympics medalist, swimming
Alison Streeter: Crossed the English channel a record 43 times
Isaiah Thomas: Professional basketball player
Jan Ullrich: Tour de France winner
Dominique Wilkins: Professional basketball player
Kristi Yamaguchi: Olympic medalist, figure skating
ATHLETES WHO HAVE DIABETES
Wasim Akram: Pakistani cricket fast bowler
Arthur Ashe: Tennis, Wimbledon winner
Walter Barnes: Football player
Sarah Bina: Championship clogger (Clogging, really??)
Ayden Byle: Runner - First insulin-dependent man to run 6521.5 km across North America.
Nick Boynton: Stanley Cup-winning Hockey Player
Orlando Brown: NFL player
Doug Burns: Fitness consultant, Record-holding strength athlete
Sean Busby: Champion Snowboarder
Cory Carpenter: College Football
Bobby Clarke: NHL Hockey Player
Ty Cobb: MLB Baseball Player
Carling Coffing: LPGA Golfer
Scott Coleman: Swimmer - first man with diabetes to swim the English Channel, (August 17th 1996)
Jay Cutler: Football Player
James "Buster" Douglas: Heavy Weight Boxer
Kenny Duckett: NFL Football player
Chris Dudley: NBA Basketball player
Scott Dunton: World Class Surfer
Mike Echols: NFL Football player
Pam Fernandes: Para Olympian
Gary Forbes: NBA Football player
Missy Foy: Professional Marathon Runner
Curt Fraser: NHL Hockey player
Walt Frazier: NBA Basketball player
"Smokin' Joe" Frazier: Boxer
Kris Freeman: Olympic and National Champion Cross-Country Skier
Sam Fuld: MLB baseball player
Mike Golic: NFL Football player
Jorge "Giant" Gonzalez: Professional Wrestler and Argentinian Basketball Player
Bill Gullickson: MLB baseball player
Gary Hall Jr.: US Olympic Gold Medalist, Swimming
Jonathan Hayes: NFL football player
Chuck Heidenreich: Skier, U.S. Ski Team
Jay Hewitt: Ironman Triathlete
Dave Hollins: Baseball player
James "Catfish" Hunter: MLB baseball player
Chuck Heidenrich: Champion Skier
Chris Jarvis: World Champion Canadian Rower
Jason Johnson: MLB baseball player
Kelli Keuhne: LPGA golfer
Charlie Kimball: Racecar driver, Indy circuit
Billie Jean King: Tennis player, World No. 1 ranked
Jay Leeuwenburg: NFL Offensive Lineman
Kyle Love: NFL Linemen
Mark Lowe: MLB baseball player
Gary Mabbutt: English football player
Robert "Gorilla Monsoon" Marella: Professional wrestler
Michelle McGann: LPGA golfer
Billy Mills: Olympic runner
Adam Morrison: Basketball Player
Brandon Morrow: Seattle Mariners Pitcher
David Pember: MLB baseball player
Toby Petersen: NHL hockey player
Kevin Powell: Marathon runner, Triathlete, Ironman Competitor
Sir Steven Redgrave: Rower - Winner of five consecutive Olympic gold medals
Dan Reichert: MLB baseball player
Jackie Robinson: Baseball Player
Sugar Ray Robinson — Boxing
Chris Rosier: Professional Jockey
Vinnie Santana: Triathlete
Ron Santo: MLB baseball player legend
Sebastien Sasseville: Reached the Peak of Mount Everest, competed in Sahara Race
Mike Sinclair: NFL football player
Kendall Simmons: NFL football player
Ron Springs: NFL football player
Jerry Stackhouse: NBA basketball player
Hank Stram: NFL football player
Bradley Suttle: Baseball player
Bill Talbert: Hall of Fame tennis player
Jack Tatum: NFL football player
Sherri Turner: LPGA golfer
Scott Verplank: PGA tournament winning golfer
Jo Ann Washam: LPGA golfer
David "Boomer" Wells: MLB baseball pitcher
Dominique Wilkins: NBA basketball player
Wade Wilson: NFL player and Dallas Cowboys quarterback coach
Dmitri Young: MLB Outfielder, first baseman
Oh. My. GOD. Is that a long list or what?? My hand is tired just typing that. That must be because my hands haven't gotten any exercise. You know, cause they're fat hands and all.
There may come a day when my health will deteriorate with age, as often happens to people. I see it happening to friends and family my age and younger already. But maybe I'll get lucky and have the same genes as some of my healthier family members. Either way, I'm not really worried.
And for now, the bike riding is going to have to suffice as exercise. Once it stops being fun, and starts being a chore, the bike will promptly be put up for sale on Ebay.
Until then...I'll take my chances sleeping late and sitting on my ass over the weekend watching my favorite movies on TV.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2012: The Beautiful Strangler
2011: Art Enables Us To Find Ourselves And Lose Ourselves At The Same Time
2010: Even God Can’t Help Men
2009: My President’s House
2008: Don’t Give Up Hope If You Just Don’t Know What You Want To Be When You Grow Up, You Have Choices
2007: Alright, Mr. DeMille, I’m Ready For My Close Up
2006: Stone Magnolia
2005: Fitty Nine!!!
4 comments:
,,,the list of people with diabetes/asthma makes your statement very credible...thanks...
Ok, here's the thing I don't get: why do other people care about other people's personal business? How much someone moves their body. What people put IN their bodies. I. Don't. Care.
I'm glad you're healthy! I'm glad my family is healthy-ish! Be happy for people, people.
I think some people eat like crap. But it's not my business! Some people think *I* eat like crap. But it's not their business!
The older I get, the less I concern myself with other people. I'm too fabulous to not be the center of MY attention/focus. WE are too fabulous...
:) keep on trucking, girlfriend. Just keep on tuckin.
I am glad that you and Eddie eat such good quality food (the Ohio cottage cheese!) and especially glad that you two are out and about on bikes. Such a fun pastime, and good exercise.
You are plugged in and interested and enjoy your life. Further, you're navigating a world that changes constantly on you; you have to stay mentally sharp.
That has to be worth lots.
FWIW, I am not with the school of "if it's not fun, it's not worth it as exercise" or "it has to hurt to be good."
Now have some ice cream. I am on my second (tiny) Manhattan. It is frenetically raining outside.
MAE: You know it.
THE GIRL: You are so right. I have seen tons of “thin” people eating wrong, smoking, drinking…but because it doesn’t manifest itself in a physical way, people assume they’re healthy and doing everything right. Not so. And I have always believed I’m fabulous! So I will keep on truckin’ and keep on being fabulous. Thanks!
BELLEDOG: We just stopped to get some Ohio cottage cheese!! I made him go 20 miles out of route for it. I don’t have any ice cream in the house, but I just discovered these awesome Kashi Oatmeal cookies that I die for. I’ll go have one of those!
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