Week 62: Health - You gotta Move It, Move it!

“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want,
drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d druthers not.”
(Mark Twain)

“So many people spend their health gaining wealth,
and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.”
(A.J. Reb Materi, Our Family)

Put your snacks aside for awhile and let me ask questions; what is the major cause of death in Somalia? Not enough food. Now, what do you think one of the major causes of deaths in Malaysia? With no surprise and wow-factor it is – food. Eating too much food to be exact! We literally are eating our way into the grave.

In December 2010, it was reported that Malaysia had been listed 6^th among Asian countries with the highest percentage of obese people. The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) in 2006 showed that 2 out of every 5 adults (43%) were either overweight or obese. The 10-year survey showed that obesity among Malaysian adults had increased by 250%, while the number of overweight adults went up by 70% from 1996 to 2006. Besides that, about 38% of teenagers were also overweight, while more recent survey of 10,000 primary school pupils showed that 24% were either overweight or obese.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong said, “Available data on the prevalence of overweight and obesity indicates that the problem we face may be more serious than those in other countries of the region.”*

As far as I can think of, here are the top 2 major contributors of growing waistlines;

1.   Eating culture. Malaysians especially, are eating 24 hours around-the-clock. We are keeping awake till late to indulge in what is becoming a top national pastime activity – heavy supper. Proof? Mamak shops or any food shops generally close to and way past midnight. In the past we used to have 2 or 3 meals per day. These days, however, we are eating 5 to 6 times daily with late-night suppers. 

2.   Sitting in front of a computer or/and television for too long, all day, every day. Thus, we often neglecting to schedule in some form of physical activity.

Do you realize? We have a healthcare problem. No matter who you are and where you’re from, we aren’t taking proper care of our own health. Arnold H. Glasow penned, “Your body is the baggage you must carry through life; the more excessive baggage, the shorter the trip.” You might be a person who are hard working, accomplish many successes, gain much wealth and have a happy family and friends – but what’s the use of it all if you’re dying on your bed? Take care of your health. In a physical realm, this is your body. But the truth is; your body belongs to God. If you take care of it properly, you’ll be healthier (I don’t dare to say that you’ll be completely healthy, but I’m convince that you’ll be healthier) and thus, you’re faithful steward toward the Lord.

Watch what you put into your mouth

You can’t lose weight by talking about it, you got to take actions! You got to move it, move it! Go exercise; run, swimming, take an evening or morning walk, climb stairs, cycling etc. Stop and take deep breaths (at least 10 times) for at least three times a day. Through healthy breathing your body is getting what it needs most – oxygen. Eat rightly (I often failed with this one~). In fact, the best way is to control your consumption of foods. Do you want to eat a lot? Then eat a little, in that way, you’ll be around long enough to eat a lot. Do whatever it take to gain your health and maintain it… You got to move it, move it!

Ancient Hebrew writer, Joshua, son of Sirach writes;

“It is better to be poor, but strong and healthy, than to be rich, but in poor health. A sound, healthy body and a cheerful attitude are more valuable than gold and jewels. Nothing can make you richer or give you greater happiness than those two things. It would be better to be dead, asleep forever, than to live in the misery of chronic illness. The finest food means nothing if you are too sick to eat it.” 

THINK BIG Health enables you to enjoy life much better.

START SMALL Watch what you put into your mouth and move your body a lots.

GO DEEP You own your body but it belong to God. Therefore, take care of it properly.

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*Statistic above is taken from The Star newspaper, Sunday, April 2011. Article by Florence A. Samy. "Malaysians getting obese - by eating too heavily at night".