The Health Blog by Ryan Healy

TV Moderation Tips

Just came across a brief article that discusses strategies for cutting back on television. It's called "10 Ways to Live TV-Free."

For me, tip #3 ("Don't make it center stage") rang true. One of my goals is to put our TV into an entertainment center or armoire with closing doors. That way the TV won't be visible all the time.

Sometime in the future, it'd also be nice to have the TV in a room that's not highly trafficked. Maybe a room in the basement.

It's my experience that the mere site of television triggers an animal instinct in children. Like a drug, if they see it, they've got to have it. That's why an "out of sight, out of mind" approach works well with TV.

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Heart Disease #1

From The Week Magazine:

"Heart disease is the leading cause of death throughout the world, killing more people than AIDS, malaria, pneumonia, or lung cancer. One out of every three deaths is caused by heart disease."

It's seems to me that heart disease is not a glamorous cause of death. AIDS and cancer... these are glamorous to the American public. These are the diseases that make headlines and receive research dollars.

But given the numbers, it seems Americans would be better served to focus on reducing instances of heart disease. I don't think that will happen though. Here's why...

Research can't cure heart disease; exercise and improved diets can. And those are things Americans are just not interested in. They'd rather not think about taking responsibility for their own health. It's easier to give that responsibility to researchers and big pharma.

Agree or disagree? Post a comment.

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Riff on Booths

Stephanie and I celebrated our 6th anniversary on Sunday, September 11. We ate at one of our usual "special occasion" restaurants and got a couple hours away from the kids.

While we were there I was reminded of a particular aggravation I have with the restaurant biz. That is, the gap (or should I say "gulf") between the booth and the table is way too large. Just to get near my plate, I have to sit right up on the edge of the seat, which is not comfortable for a two-hour dinner. There's no back support, and all the pressure of sitting is directed right into the middle of the hamstring.

This is one reason why I prefer tables. I can move my chair as close or far away from the table as I desire.

FACT: Restaurants do not build booths just to annoy me. Rather, they build them to suit their best customers, which happen to be people who are grossly overweight.

I guess I can't blame restaurants for accomodating those who spend the most on dining out. It's just sad that America's obesity epedemic is so rampant that there's a subtle form of "reverse discrimination" against people of normal size and weight.

With education (through blogs like this) and commitment to health, maybe we can have a positive effect on our communities and help reverse the trend toward obesity. We'll know we're making progress when the table/booth gap begins to shrink.

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No More Soft Drinks in California Schools

On September 1, California made a landmark decision to ban the sale of soft drinks in public high schools. This was just one day after they also banned the sale of junk food in all K-12 California schools.

The Governor is expected to sign both bills into law, which is great news for health advocates everywhere. You can read more about this legislation at the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.

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