I couldn't stop laughing!
Tuesday, June24, 2008 In:Writing
I was
browsing through some YouTube videos and came across
this hilarious portrayal of writers and editors/agents.
The worst part about it is that I was told by an author
friend it isn't too far off base with some agents
and/or editors. Tell me it isn't so!
|
Fast Draft/ Revision Hell
Sunday, May04, 2008 In:Writing
I know, I know. I've kept my novel on ice these past
few weeks.
But I have REALLY good excuses! First, I've been searching for a more challenging job, even though the one I have allows me to work from home... yeah, tell me how insane I am to attempt to leave this role, but I do the same thing day in and day out. I don't feel that I'm really making a difference and they monitor your every move online and on the phone. "How come it took you ____ long to chart?" "You aren't logged in to take calls. Why not?" Uh, because I'm a child and need to be micromanaged? I keep trying to talk myself into realizing that every job has its ups and downs, that no job is perfect. I also try to remember that with each job there will be sacrifices and benefits. I'm trying to place a value on working from home and see how it weighs with other aspects of the job.
I have an offer for a job in another division of the same company. It's a promotion in that I'll be a supervisor, great thing to place on a resume. I'll be getting a $5K salary increase, not including the salary increase I had received as a raise last month for my current job, or the bonus I was also awarded. However, I'll now have to work in the office, with opportunities ever so often to work from home for partial or complete shifts.
I ALSO interviewed for a position in a hospital. I won't go into details right now, except to say it's also a supervisory role, away from bedside care, but it's a night shift. Ugh, you might think. However, it's 12 hour shifts, so I'd have 4 days off a week. That's a bonus, yes? As is the SUBSTANTIAL raise I'd receive, making my raise and salary raise for the new job offer look like peanuts. I'd be able to pay off most of my bills very quickly and by the time that particular event occurs, or even before, I might be able to go to day shift... or might prefer the 20% shift differential and stay on nights. Who knows? It's a great organization to work for. I did it before as a travel nurse. I love their mission statement.
So, yes, I've been looking at new jobs. I'm also doing a lot of editing for a book review site, and am reviewing books for both that site and a second. Since I started editing, I don't review for them often unless it's a book I've been waiting for. The other site delegates books to the reviewers. There have been times where, 3 hours later, I'm really wishing I hadn't wasted my very little spare time reading that piece of fluff. I've thought of going on hiatus with that particular organization, simply because I don't have the time I thought I did.
I've been also trying to read. I have so many books in my To Be Read pile that it's almost too much to handle for my poor OCD soul. Seriously, I'm not OCD, but I can imagine I'd probably come close, with my penchant for buying the second book in the series, when I haven't finished the first!
I just received a challenge of sorts from a friend of mine, Nikki Duncan. She is participating in a Fast Draft/Revision Hell for the next two weeks with several other writers and wanted to know if I'd like to join. I think she KNOWS that I need to get off my booty, stop making excuses and just write the damn thing! As you can see on the side bar, I'm 50,000 words into the book. I am hoping to join the challenge with Nikki and friends to get through these edits that I worked on with author Shelley Bradley/Shayla Black and move on to finishing the story.
I think my own Fast Draft will look a little different than others. I have a story board, compliments of a Shelley Bradley class. Holler at me if you'd like to know more. She is actually starting another class tomorrow. I'll get you in touch with her if you want to know how to do one. I have most of the prep work done. It's just a matter of integrating all the new info, see how it's changed the story and then go from there.
So, for the next two weeks, I've prepared. I've cleaned the house and the backyard, stocked up on dog treats, and produce, frozen seafood and veggies. Tonight I'll be cutting up veggies for a few salads and will hit the store one last time for things like eggs, milk, yogurt, etc. for quick meals.
Starting tomorrow, I'll be leaving my emails alone mostly, unless I'm checking them on breaks at work. I'll also be taping House, Grey's Anatomy, etc. Sorry, still gonna watch Moonlight. That addiction can't be helped. If I seem to be distant, well there's a reason. If I fall behind, I won't correspond. If I hit my goal, and am at a stopping place, I'll answer emails, chat, etc.
Wish me luck.
But I have REALLY good excuses! First, I've been searching for a more challenging job, even though the one I have allows me to work from home... yeah, tell me how insane I am to attempt to leave this role, but I do the same thing day in and day out. I don't feel that I'm really making a difference and they monitor your every move online and on the phone. "How come it took you ____ long to chart?" "You aren't logged in to take calls. Why not?" Uh, because I'm a child and need to be micromanaged? I keep trying to talk myself into realizing that every job has its ups and downs, that no job is perfect. I also try to remember that with each job there will be sacrifices and benefits. I'm trying to place a value on working from home and see how it weighs with other aspects of the job.
I have an offer for a job in another division of the same company. It's a promotion in that I'll be a supervisor, great thing to place on a resume. I'll be getting a $5K salary increase, not including the salary increase I had received as a raise last month for my current job, or the bonus I was also awarded. However, I'll now have to work in the office, with opportunities ever so often to work from home for partial or complete shifts.
I ALSO interviewed for a position in a hospital. I won't go into details right now, except to say it's also a supervisory role, away from bedside care, but it's a night shift. Ugh, you might think. However, it's 12 hour shifts, so I'd have 4 days off a week. That's a bonus, yes? As is the SUBSTANTIAL raise I'd receive, making my raise and salary raise for the new job offer look like peanuts. I'd be able to pay off most of my bills very quickly and by the time that particular event occurs, or even before, I might be able to go to day shift... or might prefer the 20% shift differential and stay on nights. Who knows? It's a great organization to work for. I did it before as a travel nurse. I love their mission statement.
So, yes, I've been looking at new jobs. I'm also doing a lot of editing for a book review site, and am reviewing books for both that site and a second. Since I started editing, I don't review for them often unless it's a book I've been waiting for. The other site delegates books to the reviewers. There have been times where, 3 hours later, I'm really wishing I hadn't wasted my very little spare time reading that piece of fluff. I've thought of going on hiatus with that particular organization, simply because I don't have the time I thought I did.
I've been also trying to read. I have so many books in my To Be Read pile that it's almost too much to handle for my poor OCD soul. Seriously, I'm not OCD, but I can imagine I'd probably come close, with my penchant for buying the second book in the series, when I haven't finished the first!
I just received a challenge of sorts from a friend of mine, Nikki Duncan. She is participating in a Fast Draft/Revision Hell for the next two weeks with several other writers and wanted to know if I'd like to join. I think she KNOWS that I need to get off my booty, stop making excuses and just write the damn thing! As you can see on the side bar, I'm 50,000 words into the book. I am hoping to join the challenge with Nikki and friends to get through these edits that I worked on with author Shelley Bradley/Shayla Black and move on to finishing the story.
I think my own Fast Draft will look a little different than others. I have a story board, compliments of a Shelley Bradley class. Holler at me if you'd like to know more. She is actually starting another class tomorrow. I'll get you in touch with her if you want to know how to do one. I have most of the prep work done. It's just a matter of integrating all the new info, see how it's changed the story and then go from there.
So, for the next two weeks, I've prepared. I've cleaned the house and the backyard, stocked up on dog treats, and produce, frozen seafood and veggies. Tonight I'll be cutting up veggies for a few salads and will hit the store one last time for things like eggs, milk, yogurt, etc. for quick meals.
Starting tomorrow, I'll be leaving my emails alone mostly, unless I'm checking them on breaks at work. I'll also be taping House, Grey's Anatomy, etc. Sorry, still gonna watch Moonlight. That addiction can't be helped. If I seem to be distant, well there's a reason. If I fall behind, I won't correspond. If I hit my goal, and am at a stopping place, I'll answer emails, chat, etc.
Wish me luck.
Writer's Digest contest
Saturday, April05, 2008 In:Writing
As I was perusing through the latest edition of
Writer's Digest, I came across the monthly contest. The
directive was to write a short story and to use the
following as inspiration: A character walks into a
kitchen at the end of the day. He finds on the kitchen
table something that isn't supposed to be there.
Here was my attempt:
As the late afternoon sun was setting, Lester sat atop his tractor, pulling the plow through one more row of field. He’d been working since daybreak, in preparation for the coming season. Stopping, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping the sweat from his brow. His stomach rumbled, indicating it was time to quit and head for home.
Just then, the bright red blur of a loud sports car sped past him on the small highway bordering the edge of his farm, thumping bass spilling from within.
Shaking his head, Lester eased the tractor onto the dirt path, raised the plow and slowly rode his tractor home. A simple man, he had no time for frivolities. He was a farmer, a vocation passed on for generations. Sometimes, he’d hire a body to help with the harvesting, but since his father was gone now and his mother was getting on in years, the work rested on his capable shoulders. He’d even opted not to marry, preferring the mistress that was his farm.
As Lester glanced back, a sense of satisfaction pervaded his senses. One of the last few farms around, he refused to sell his land to some fancy-pants investors. Not that they hadn’t tried. They were wily and seductive, but he just wouldn’t budge.
After securing the tractor inside the barn, Lester headed to the house a few yards away. The back door hung slightly ajar. Picking up pace, he rushed to the house.
“Ma?” He called out, stepping inside. Unsettled by the absolute silence within, he peered into the darkening living room. Nothing was out of place, momentarily subduing his growing unease.
Lester turned and strode to the kitchen, eager for dinner. He flipped on an overhead light and walked to the sink, pulling a glass from a nearby cupboard, filling it with cool tap water.
Turning, raising the glass for a drink, he gazed around the kitchen. The stovetop sat empty. The elements were dark in the oven, indicating that nothing baked within.
Puzzled, Lester realized the cleanliness of the countertops and sinks wasn’t uncommon. No, his mother was a fastidious housekeeper. But, considering the time, the kitchen was immaculate when pots should be on the stove bubbling with their contents, the scent of food wafting through the house.
“Ma?” He called out again. No response. He took a step back, his leg brushing the edge of a dining chair. Lester turned.
The table was simply set for the evening meal. On one plate standing perfectly on the handle’s end was a large knife, the blade covered in dark, congealing blood. A sense of doom pervaded his mind and he called out to his mother once more. “Ma!” Again, there was no response.
Looking at the knife, his head tilted sideways, attention fixed on a small, darkened mass at the tip. Bending at the waist, he peered more closely at the knife, identifying a clump of dark gray hair. Ma’s hair.
The water glass slipped from Lester’s fingers, the sound of splintering glass filling the room. His heart galloped. Grasping the edge of the table for support, he sucked in a breath, eyes widening. Straightening, legs wobbly, his mind reeled, still unable to fully comprehend the implications of the bloody knife before him. Who? What?
From somewhere within the house, a door creaked. A slow shuffling, out of place and certainly not his mother’s, crossed the floor at the end of the hall.
Step. Drag. Step. Drag.
What the…?
Hyperventilating, spots danced before his eyes. A fine sheen of cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
The television blared to life.
Lester cried out in surprise, jumping. Impossible! He was just in the living room. It had been decidedly empty.
Trying to shake off the foreboding thoughts and calm his racing heart, he reasoned that there must be a plausible explanation to the sounds and sight before him. Ready to go in search of his mother, he glanced down at the knife once again. Steeling himself, he took a small, shaky step.
The air left his lungs.
Blood drained from his face.
The lightest of breaths blew across his neck.
Lester slowly turned around. Utter terror gripped him. Ruby eyes, amidst the blackest of voids, stared into him. As darkness consumed him, his last panicked thoughts were of his mother’s life and anger that the satanic investors with the expensive suits would take his farm, after all.
Here was my attempt:
As the late afternoon sun was setting, Lester sat atop his tractor, pulling the plow through one more row of field. He’d been working since daybreak, in preparation for the coming season. Stopping, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping the sweat from his brow. His stomach rumbled, indicating it was time to quit and head for home.
Just then, the bright red blur of a loud sports car sped past him on the small highway bordering the edge of his farm, thumping bass spilling from within.
Shaking his head, Lester eased the tractor onto the dirt path, raised the plow and slowly rode his tractor home. A simple man, he had no time for frivolities. He was a farmer, a vocation passed on for generations. Sometimes, he’d hire a body to help with the harvesting, but since his father was gone now and his mother was getting on in years, the work rested on his capable shoulders. He’d even opted not to marry, preferring the mistress that was his farm.
As Lester glanced back, a sense of satisfaction pervaded his senses. One of the last few farms around, he refused to sell his land to some fancy-pants investors. Not that they hadn’t tried. They were wily and seductive, but he just wouldn’t budge.
After securing the tractor inside the barn, Lester headed to the house a few yards away. The back door hung slightly ajar. Picking up pace, he rushed to the house.
“Ma?” He called out, stepping inside. Unsettled by the absolute silence within, he peered into the darkening living room. Nothing was out of place, momentarily subduing his growing unease.
Lester turned and strode to the kitchen, eager for dinner. He flipped on an overhead light and walked to the sink, pulling a glass from a nearby cupboard, filling it with cool tap water.
Turning, raising the glass for a drink, he gazed around the kitchen. The stovetop sat empty. The elements were dark in the oven, indicating that nothing baked within.
Puzzled, Lester realized the cleanliness of the countertops and sinks wasn’t uncommon. No, his mother was a fastidious housekeeper. But, considering the time, the kitchen was immaculate when pots should be on the stove bubbling with their contents, the scent of food wafting through the house.
“Ma?” He called out again. No response. He took a step back, his leg brushing the edge of a dining chair. Lester turned.
The table was simply set for the evening meal. On one plate standing perfectly on the handle’s end was a large knife, the blade covered in dark, congealing blood. A sense of doom pervaded his mind and he called out to his mother once more. “Ma!” Again, there was no response.
Looking at the knife, his head tilted sideways, attention fixed on a small, darkened mass at the tip. Bending at the waist, he peered more closely at the knife, identifying a clump of dark gray hair. Ma’s hair.
The water glass slipped from Lester’s fingers, the sound of splintering glass filling the room. His heart galloped. Grasping the edge of the table for support, he sucked in a breath, eyes widening. Straightening, legs wobbly, his mind reeled, still unable to fully comprehend the implications of the bloody knife before him. Who? What?
From somewhere within the house, a door creaked. A slow shuffling, out of place and certainly not his mother’s, crossed the floor at the end of the hall.
Step. Drag. Step. Drag.
What the…?
Hyperventilating, spots danced before his eyes. A fine sheen of cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
The television blared to life.
Lester cried out in surprise, jumping. Impossible! He was just in the living room. It had been decidedly empty.
Trying to shake off the foreboding thoughts and calm his racing heart, he reasoned that there must be a plausible explanation to the sounds and sight before him. Ready to go in search of his mother, he glanced down at the knife once again. Steeling himself, he took a small, shaky step.
The air left his lungs.
Blood drained from his face.
The lightest of breaths blew across his neck.
Lester slowly turned around. Utter terror gripped him. Ruby eyes, amidst the blackest of voids, stared into him. As darkness consumed him, his last panicked thoughts were of his mother’s life and anger that the satanic investors with the expensive suits would take his farm, after all.
The Politics of Dancing
Tuesday, March04, 2008 In:Uncategorized
'They' say there are two things you should never speak
about in polite or professional company: religion and
politics. This IS about politics, but only the
beginning.
I'm not a political person. And yet...I truly believe that we Americans are witnessing a historical moment in time this year. So, I'm preparing myself. I want to learn as much as possible about our potential presidential candidates. I want to make the right choice when I cast my vote in November. (And unlike some theorists who claim the election's already been decided, I believe my vote counts.)
Voting used to be so much more black and white for me. I used to look at 1-2 issues and vote for the candidate who swung my way with those one or two issues. I know now that that was a very simplistic way of looking at things. "When I was a child, I used to think like a child..."
When on one candidate's site a couple of days ago, I came across their stance on healthcare. There was a place where I could make give my input about specific issues. So, I sat down, thought about it, and wrote. Here's what I had to say:
As a healthcare professional, I've seen the gamut. Lately let's just say I'm quickly reaching my tolerance threshold. I'm tired of the US, in essence, paying for the pharmaceutical's R&D for the rest of the world. Not only that, but I fervently believe that this industry keeps its patients on medications for either longer than necessary or unnecessarily prescribe the medications in the first place. We are a society way over-medicated. Think I'm wrong? Why then are so many people developing antibiotic-resistant infections? That's only one example of 'better living through pharmacology' gone bad.
Allopathic doctors, in general, prefer medications rather than a less drastic remedy. Instead of telling a parent to eliminate the sugars and caffeine they feed their child, perhaps mix in some behavior therapy, they're instead placed on meds for their 'ADD'-- a legitimate condition but it's become a catchall diagnosis for many children. Or instead of dealing with our problems head-on, let's place adults on anti-depression and anti-anxiety medications, meds that often exacerbate the problems rather than help.
Why the quick-draw to grab meds? Is it because doctors only have time to concentrate on one symptom, or aren't being educated to treat the patient as whole? Or is it because they believe their patients won't make the necessary lifestyle changes to alleviate the need for these chronic meds? More than likely, it's all of the above.
I'm tired of premiums going up but coverage going down. I'm aware of how premiums are computed: considering the increasing cost of care and also the issue of high-cost diabetes and heart disease--conditions that have modifiable risk factors which are ignored by a large contingent of patients. Some insurance woes would be alleviated if these citizens would take charge of their health. But until then, they're foisting their money-sucking conditions onto the rest of us. I know that. But while it's an industry that consumes more money than any other, it also makes more money than any other. Surely, someone intelligent within the upper echelons could find a solution to this mess?
What about those who either underinsured or not insured at all, you ask. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely understand the crisis of many Americans who have difficulties accessing insurance. This is a big issue; as are the difficulties of the medical staff who have only a short amount of time for each appointment in which to address chronic issues.
However you look at it, some of the fault lies within the medical community who's failed to properly educate its patients. I come across those patients every single day. These conditions are created by some insurance companies who will often reimburse physicians not based on what is done for the patient, but for how many patients are seen. If someone comes in with a newly diagnosed condition, many times their education is relegated to handing over a pamphlet or perhaps sending a medical assistant in to discuss a disease they're just not educated enough to discuss intelligently. Is it their fault? Or just another crack in the system?
I also come across patients who have no desire to change their current condition, oftentimes a condition that can be changed. Which brings me to my next concern.
I'm weary of speaking day in and day out to patients who refuse to take responsibility for largely modifiable healthcare issues. Granted, it's difficult to alter habits, I accept that. But these are the citizens who continue to smoke, refuse to exercise or take care of themselves, feast on high-fat, high-carb fast foods, are obese, have hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and diabetic secondary issues. And opt to do nothing about it.
Weight gain can sneak up on you. I recognize that. I also recognize that some are overweight due to thyroid conditions. But let's be realistic. Thyroid conditions are the most rare of the causes of obesity. Primary causes include lack of exercise ('walking a lot at work' doesn't count!), lack of sleep and what we put into our mouths. Fast foods, high fat, high processed carbs and a diet high in sodas-diet or regular- are our culprits. It's why we are one of the most obese nations in the world and a paltry 11th in the world in longevity.
As we age, and our metabolism slows, it's easy to turn a blind eye to weight gain and wake up one day, wondering where it came from. And it’s easy, especially in our society today where we seem to work more to have less—less time for our families, less money to pay our bills. After working ten, twelve hour days, who wants to cook? It’s convenient to stop for carry-out on the way home from work. But we Americans are an unhealthy society, chomping down on convenience and fast foods every day in our harried lives, not realizing the mass amounts of calories we consume until it's 30, 40, 100 lbs too late. Studies from the NIH show that we're not consumers of food in the US, we're bingers. Did you know that a 64-oz Super Big Gulp at 7-11 has 800 calories! It'll take 4 non-stop hours of walking to work that off. American portions are several times the size of those in other countries. The largest order of fries in the UK has 160 less calories than the US 'biggie'. A typical 6 ounce muffin in the US is 2-3 times larger than those in French cafes.
Think of this: with our access to devices such as motorized scooters and cell phones that prevent us from walking, even next door or down the street, to discuss things with families, friends, and neighbors, we, and our children, prefer to text message, email, web surf, play video games and watch TV, rather than be active outside. Combine THAT with many school cafeterias' serving sugar sodas and brand name fast foods, is it any wonder that childhood obesity and diabetes has risen to epidemic proportions? Is it any wonder that chronic conditions are mainstays of American adults?
Part of this solution rests on the shoulders of the healthcare industry and medical professionals. But it also rests on our shoulders, and in the case of children, their parents'. But many don't want to alter their lifestyle. They'd prefer a pill, should it come to that, to becoming healthy. This in turn drains the system as a whole. And we all suffer.
There are disease management programs out there that are offered via healthcare insurance providers. Some employers are allowing this service for their insureds. Some employers are taking it one step further--higher premiums for those who smoke, higher premiums for those who don't actively participate in disease management programs. Some belligerently prefer the higher premiums. But, it's a start, for the few who grudgingly participate. An effort that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the ocean that is our healthcare issue.
I know what many of the problems are. I’m not quite sure how to fix them. There are, of course, many who only need education and a chance to change their lives. For others, all the education in the world won’t change their outlooks. But one thing’s for sure: something’s got to give. Otherwise the industry as we know it will shatter. Here’s hoping for a solution.
I'm not a political person. And yet...I truly believe that we Americans are witnessing a historical moment in time this year. So, I'm preparing myself. I want to learn as much as possible about our potential presidential candidates. I want to make the right choice when I cast my vote in November. (And unlike some theorists who claim the election's already been decided, I believe my vote counts.)
Voting used to be so much more black and white for me. I used to look at 1-2 issues and vote for the candidate who swung my way with those one or two issues. I know now that that was a very simplistic way of looking at things. "When I was a child, I used to think like a child..."
When on one candidate's site a couple of days ago, I came across their stance on healthcare. There was a place where I could make give my input about specific issues. So, I sat down, thought about it, and wrote. Here's what I had to say:
As a healthcare professional, I've seen the gamut. Lately let's just say I'm quickly reaching my tolerance threshold. I'm tired of the US, in essence, paying for the pharmaceutical's R&D for the rest of the world. Not only that, but I fervently believe that this industry keeps its patients on medications for either longer than necessary or unnecessarily prescribe the medications in the first place. We are a society way over-medicated. Think I'm wrong? Why then are so many people developing antibiotic-resistant infections? That's only one example of 'better living through pharmacology' gone bad.
Allopathic doctors, in general, prefer medications rather than a less drastic remedy. Instead of telling a parent to eliminate the sugars and caffeine they feed their child, perhaps mix in some behavior therapy, they're instead placed on meds for their 'ADD'-- a legitimate condition but it's become a catchall diagnosis for many children. Or instead of dealing with our problems head-on, let's place adults on anti-depression and anti-anxiety medications, meds that often exacerbate the problems rather than help.
Why the quick-draw to grab meds? Is it because doctors only have time to concentrate on one symptom, or aren't being educated to treat the patient as whole? Or is it because they believe their patients won't make the necessary lifestyle changes to alleviate the need for these chronic meds? More than likely, it's all of the above.
I'm tired of premiums going up but coverage going down. I'm aware of how premiums are computed: considering the increasing cost of care and also the issue of high-cost diabetes and heart disease--conditions that have modifiable risk factors which are ignored by a large contingent of patients. Some insurance woes would be alleviated if these citizens would take charge of their health. But until then, they're foisting their money-sucking conditions onto the rest of us. I know that. But while it's an industry that consumes more money than any other, it also makes more money than any other. Surely, someone intelligent within the upper echelons could find a solution to this mess?
What about those who either underinsured or not insured at all, you ask. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely understand the crisis of many Americans who have difficulties accessing insurance. This is a big issue; as are the difficulties of the medical staff who have only a short amount of time for each appointment in which to address chronic issues.
However you look at it, some of the fault lies within the medical community who's failed to properly educate its patients. I come across those patients every single day. These conditions are created by some insurance companies who will often reimburse physicians not based on what is done for the patient, but for how many patients are seen. If someone comes in with a newly diagnosed condition, many times their education is relegated to handing over a pamphlet or perhaps sending a medical assistant in to discuss a disease they're just not educated enough to discuss intelligently. Is it their fault? Or just another crack in the system?
I also come across patients who have no desire to change their current condition, oftentimes a condition that can be changed. Which brings me to my next concern.
I'm weary of speaking day in and day out to patients who refuse to take responsibility for largely modifiable healthcare issues. Granted, it's difficult to alter habits, I accept that. But these are the citizens who continue to smoke, refuse to exercise or take care of themselves, feast on high-fat, high-carb fast foods, are obese, have hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and diabetic secondary issues. And opt to do nothing about it.
Weight gain can sneak up on you. I recognize that. I also recognize that some are overweight due to thyroid conditions. But let's be realistic. Thyroid conditions are the most rare of the causes of obesity. Primary causes include lack of exercise ('walking a lot at work' doesn't count!), lack of sleep and what we put into our mouths. Fast foods, high fat, high processed carbs and a diet high in sodas-diet or regular- are our culprits. It's why we are one of the most obese nations in the world and a paltry 11th in the world in longevity.
As we age, and our metabolism slows, it's easy to turn a blind eye to weight gain and wake up one day, wondering where it came from. And it’s easy, especially in our society today where we seem to work more to have less—less time for our families, less money to pay our bills. After working ten, twelve hour days, who wants to cook? It’s convenient to stop for carry-out on the way home from work. But we Americans are an unhealthy society, chomping down on convenience and fast foods every day in our harried lives, not realizing the mass amounts of calories we consume until it's 30, 40, 100 lbs too late. Studies from the NIH show that we're not consumers of food in the US, we're bingers. Did you know that a 64-oz Super Big Gulp at 7-11 has 800 calories! It'll take 4 non-stop hours of walking to work that off. American portions are several times the size of those in other countries. The largest order of fries in the UK has 160 less calories than the US 'biggie'. A typical 6 ounce muffin in the US is 2-3 times larger than those in French cafes.
Think of this: with our access to devices such as motorized scooters and cell phones that prevent us from walking, even next door or down the street, to discuss things with families, friends, and neighbors, we, and our children, prefer to text message, email, web surf, play video games and watch TV, rather than be active outside. Combine THAT with many school cafeterias' serving sugar sodas and brand name fast foods, is it any wonder that childhood obesity and diabetes has risen to epidemic proportions? Is it any wonder that chronic conditions are mainstays of American adults?
Part of this solution rests on the shoulders of the healthcare industry and medical professionals. But it also rests on our shoulders, and in the case of children, their parents'. But many don't want to alter their lifestyle. They'd prefer a pill, should it come to that, to becoming healthy. This in turn drains the system as a whole. And we all suffer.
There are disease management programs out there that are offered via healthcare insurance providers. Some employers are allowing this service for their insureds. Some employers are taking it one step further--higher premiums for those who smoke, higher premiums for those who don't actively participate in disease management programs. Some belligerently prefer the higher premiums. But, it's a start, for the few who grudgingly participate. An effort that’s a drop in the bucket compared to the ocean that is our healthcare issue.
I know what many of the problems are. I’m not quite sure how to fix them. There are, of course, many who only need education and a chance to change their lives. For others, all the education in the world won’t change their outlooks. But one thing’s for sure: something’s got to give. Otherwise the industry as we know it will shatter. Here’s hoping for a solution.