A Healthy Opportunity...

I've followed bits and pieces of the health care debate and am at a loss as to whether a one size fits all solution can be found. The purpose of this post isn't to discuss the opposing views. There are many more qualified than I who can do that.

I have found it interesting that a key aspect has mostly been left out of the discussion. That's the idea that people worry less about the coverage and more about improving their own health.

We know that our country has become progressively fatter and more out of shape. An alarming number of children are suffering from diabetes. We celebrate our nation's finest athletes and consume large amounts of junk food while watching them. And for many, the closest they come to a sport is membership in a "fantasy" league.

Are we looking to health care as a safety net for our self-induced health problems? I would like to see our leaders focus on creating a national goal for improved health. Big things can come from a vision or a crisis. In the 1960s, we had a goal of going to the moon and made it happen. After 9/11, a wave of patriotism united Americans in a way that had not been seen in decades. Perhaps we can fly a flag of health in the coming days.

Maybe we should not just look to politicians for this kind of change. An avalanche starts with the movement of just a few pebbles. As individuals we should not underestimate our power to affect change. By making a healthier choice today, we could change our world tomorrow.

The Taboo Topics...

Have you ever been told to avoid talking about politics or religion with people? While I understand the idea behind these instructions, politics and religion are actually topics where you could have some pretty good conversations. So is the problem the topics or that fact that a lot of us aren't very good at talking?

Somewhere along the line, we may have lost the concept behind an open minded discussion. Instead, a conversation is more like a battle where your goal is to verbally smash your opponent into submission. Whatever happened to the idea of having a discussion where you may ultimately, agree to disagree?

Exposure to new ideas can be a very healthy thing. Remember at one point in time, it was thought that Earth was flat and was the center of the universe. I find it interesting at a time when the world is more connected than ever, some are more isolated from the ideas that come from it.