Why Are People Fat

Of course the obvious answer -- people eat more calories than they can burn off in a day. What I am getting at is how do people come to this?

An often overlooked part of the puzzle is the hideous diet, especially among the poor and disadvantaged living in a rich country. One thing that is hard to miss -- the poorer on the socio-economic level, the more you will find overweight people. Why is the diet of the poor a leading contribution to obesiety?

Good, healthy food is expensive. McDonald's is cheap.

Face it. Those with lower incomes generally do not buy organic food or higher quality food products because they are often out of their budget. At times fruit and vegetables are the last considerations on a shopping list because feeding a whole family and making sure they are full can often be done cheaper with starches and meat.

Also, many on a lower socio-economic level are usually working more than the standard 40 hour week. Some are working 2 full time jobs per person in a family, or 2 parents working one full time job and sometimes even an added on part time job. With working so hard it is easier to get a cheap takeaway than to take away time from the family fixing a proper meal.

It is easier for those on the higher end of the socio-economic ladder to wag their fingers and say, "Why don't you just save your money and cook at home?" or "Why don't you stop buying junk food and buy more healthy food?" The reality is the cost of buying a proper selection of food for a week is often the same cost of buying the junk for a month. And when you are dog tired from working menial, soul-breaking jobs, it is sometimes the time you spend with the family that gives you a reason to go on.

If people are poor enough to qualify for help from the government, at least there is the good possibility to get fresh fruits and vegetable along with a well balanced diet. However, there are a lot of working poor who do not qualify for help that often have to go without the fruit and veg.

Europeans generally do not understand why the US freely sells irridated, genetically modified, steroid injected food. Without such methods, the price of food would be too high for so many. The drawback is obvious, health risks in eating it. It is either starve or risk your health.

Not to be misunderstood, let me make it clear, people do have some personal responsibility towards their condition. There are things that can be done to cut down on the scale:

1. Drink more water - If you drink a full 12 ounce glass of water before a meal and another during the meal and another after the meal, you will feel full faster and be able to eliminate the meal easier.
   
2. Walk more - Even if it is just walking up the stairs instead of taking an elevator or escalator or walking to a store, school, or any place within a mile distance instead of taking a car can help.
   
3. Stand more - Periodically get up and just stand instead of sitting and vegetating.
   
4. Exercise during television - It doesn't even have to be full scale hardcore routines. Simple leg and arm exercises, use weights, do crunches all while watching the telly.
   
5. Take a vitamin and drink your fiber - If you can't eat a proper diet, at least compensate.
   
6. Avoid alcohol and any product with zero nutritional value - There are always cheap alternatives with better nutritional value. Instead of a beer or sweetened fruit drink, go for water or a glass of skim milk. Instead of a bag of potato chips [crisps] try a handful of sunflower or pumpkin seeds. If you crave sweets, make a baked apple sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
   

It's not going to make you lose 10 pounds in a week or anything ridiculous like that, but it is these little things you can do to at least keep a bad thing under control.

A Brand New Iraq - Was War Worthwhile?

As the deadline approaches for approval of the new Iraq constitution, we await with baited breath. When they finally take the government in their own hands, our troops can start to come home. The Iraqis will finally be free to live their lives. We will all live happily ever after... at least, that's what the Bush administration wants us to believe. As a realist, I am optimistically cautious.

Make no mistakes about it, Saddam needed to go. He deserves whatever punishment is coming to him at the hands of his own people. The way we went about it was a disaster.

Saddam killed over one million of his own people. The result of two wars against Iraq to deal with Saddam have not even come close to killing that many people, but if you count the by-products of war and the sanctions, we have surpassed the death toll of Saddam when you count the injuries that became fatal, the rise of terrorism that was a direct result of the war, the disease and starvation as well as the lack of running water and electricity which made health care and sanitation next to impossible.

We have lost over 13,800 of our own troops and estimates are as high as 26,700 Iraqi civilian casualties as a direct result of our war. Over 5,300 Iraqi prisoners of war were being held by US and UK forces without the guaranteed rights due in a situation of war. [And if you don't know why this International law in regards to rules on treating POWs, just remember the same applies to treatment of our own soldiers.] As of now, the monetary cost of war is over $187,000,000 and rising.

We do not have enough troops to send over there to help the people, so it is more than necessary for us to pull out as soon as possible. We do not have the money in our budget to feed into this expensive war. We do not have the worldwide support to help in the effort that is needed. This is why it is suddenly necessary to speed things along with the democracy of Iraq when only a few months ago Bush made a stoic gesture that we would not pull out any time soon for the safety of the people nor give a date to leave as it would send the wrong message to the terrorists.

This is not a concession to say the terrorists have won. They have not. They have much worldwide heat on these organizations who will not tolerate such behaviour. In the end, they will be hunted down like dogs. They will spend their lives looking over their shoulders. Yes, they will succeed in killing innocent people, but as more people are aware of these groups, the number of successful missions will be greatly reduced.

So, at the expense of a lot of lost lives, a destroyed country of Iraq, and a ruined American economy, the Iraqi people now have "freedom". I am not against them having freedom, but it was gone about in the wrong way. There's nothing that can be done about what has already taken place. We all must face the consequences of what has already been done and move on from here.

There are so many vicious dictators and genocidal maniacs around the world. I hope we have learned an important lesson about just rushing in without common sense. We have far more dangerous threats closer to the United States that should have been dealt with, or at least acknowledged. Until the US borders are secure, the immigrations standards have been tightened, and the nations around us are at peace and have their needs met, there will always be the chance the new terrorist cells will grow in the neighboring countries who have nothing else going for them -- think Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba for starters, all close enough to launch an attack by remote or to cross by boat. Why are we more concerned with the Middle East when there is trouble brewing in our own backyard?

Callen Damornen's World

The Gaza Pullout Nightmare

Obviously there are a lot of emotions running high in the Palestine/Israel area lately because of the orders sent to the settlers to vacate the area. Being served with eviction notices by their own fellow countrymen is not a pleasant task on either end. There is more to the story than meets the eye.

According to the settlers in the area, this is a grave injustice being served upon them. Looking at it from the point of view of the people being evicted, you can understand why they are upset. No one likes to be kicked out of their home. It happens all the time, somewhere in the world someone is being evicted out of a place they have come to call home. To have the police, their fellow countryment, serve them with papers and orders to follow to have their belongings forced out of the property and lock up. Being evicted under normal circumstances is not a pleasant task for the people being evicted nor for the ones who must carry out the orders.

These settlers have lived in the area for over the last 40 years. They have their roots to the land. A few generations have had time to grow up there. Some have never before left the area. To be told to get out is outrageous, in their minds. They have broken no laws. They paid their dues. They worked hard to get these homes and acquire the property. They had no say in this decision to turn over their homes and it is highly unfair.

At least, that's how they see it.

When I lived in Chicago, I was always floored by people who moved to Bensonville, a suburb in the Northwest, who complained about the noise from the airport. When they moved into the area, they knew there was an airport nearby. What did they think would happen?

When these settlers moved into the Gaza strip area, they knew it was a disputed territory. The dispute had never been resolved while they were living there. It should have occured, somewhere in the back of their minds, that perhaps one day the dispute would be settled and it just might not be the way they wanted.

As Ariel Sharon stepped into office, he was on a platform of not negotiating with the terrorist groups such as Hamas. Back then, Arafat was still very much alive and in control of the direction of these terrorist organizations. When he stepped into office, his decisions were based upon the circumstances at the time. Times have changed and so must his policy.

There has been so much bloodshed, so much loss of innocent lives on both sides. Isn't it time that concessions be made for the sake of future generations? If it means sacrificing one area of land and acknowledging the rights of Palestinians just to have security to the Israeli people, isn't it worth it? It seems as if these Gaza residents do not care about the overall big picture and do not want to give up their "property" for the cause.

Of course, there is a growing concern among some in the Israeli camps. What if it does not stop there? What if they want more? What about those among the Palestinians who just do not want to live next to the Israelis at all who would rather see them all dead? Is giving up this land surrendering to an enemy that wants to take it all away?

Both Palestinians and Israelis see this area as their God given right. Both sides have suffered abuse and genocide and have had to put their plea to a worldwide audience. Both sides have committed war crimes, genocide and general acts of terrorism against each other. Neither side has the moral superiority on this issue.

As an American, I can appreciate the difficulty of the situation. What if one day the Natives wanted to reclaim the land and boot out all the Americans? What if the world was on their side as they claimed it was their God given right to the land and site the abuses, the genocide, and the broken treaties before a world counsel to gain sympathy for their cause? One day, the world could come together and order all Americans off the land and return it to their owners. We would have a similar reaction here.

I wish those departing from their homes well. I hope there will finally come a day of peace in the entire region. In the words of Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along?"

Ministry of Get A Miracle