squaring the curve
i found myself at a large assembly recently where one of the topics presented to the ~1000 person audience was health and fitness. the speaker addressing this topic stressed the importance of this to his audience, citing dr. kenneth cooper* in one of his arguments.
"we need to 'square the curve,'" the speaker told the audience, quoting the doctor. i was pretty sure i knew what he was referring to, and i sensed that a majority of the people around didn't. the speaker elaborated: "you see, most people's health begins a slow decay around middle age, until their death later in life". he made a graph with his hand, plotting a downward-sloped X/Y curve to the crowd. "people need to start living their life right so that all throughout they stay up here," plotting a new, horizontal line high above his head, "and then when the time comes, there is no decay," and he dramatically drops his hand quickly downward, indicating the sudden death from several decades of a high standard of health.
"square the curve." upon the drop of his hand, the audience eruped in a good bit of laughter, and the speaker's timing was such that his delivery allowed for a spot of humor.
most all of us have a tendency to laugh at mortality--freud and others have concluded that this is a natural means of coping with the thought--so sure, a little chuckle is fine. but i was rather unnerved with the thought of how many people in the audience really didn't get the message, that the speaker was just beating a dead horse about health.
i wanted to storm the stage with a mic: "jesus christ listen! get this in your brain! don't let yourself go out like this! lack of action is acceptance of fate, and for a majority of the populous, that fate isn't pretty!"
i was not born fit--look at my family photos. i was not fated to be a marathoner--look at my family tree. but i am a marathoner, largely because of actions that i took 10, 15 years ago (whether i realized the importance of those actions at the time or not). i have watched--and am watching--family and loved ones let their health and longevity slip through their fingers, and it kills me. it pains me to think of what the future could hold. maybe it pains me more to think what the future could hold, but won't.
and when i hear of someone making a difference for themselves--starting a new activity, changing a diet, kicking a habit--indeed, i really am excited as i lead on to be. square that curve.
* being that his clinic is based in dallas, tx, i have had the pleasure of seeing dr. kenneth cooper speak on two separate occassions. a medical doctor with a military background, he now focuses all of his energy on the health problems that plague US society today. he delivers his messages with speed, passion, a oklahoman military drawl, and most importantly, hard empirical data. his work literally is the reason why trans fats are being exorcised out of the american diet. in the '60s, he literally wrote the book on aerobics--a wickedly radical concept at the time not accepted by a majority of his peers, now the cornerstone of a lifestyle for millions of americans. if you ever have the chance to hear him speak or read any of his publications, i encourage it by all means.
"we need to 'square the curve,'" the speaker told the audience, quoting the doctor. i was pretty sure i knew what he was referring to, and i sensed that a majority of the people around didn't. the speaker elaborated: "you see, most people's health begins a slow decay around middle age, until their death later in life". he made a graph with his hand, plotting a downward-sloped X/Y curve to the crowd. "people need to start living their life right so that all throughout they stay up here," plotting a new, horizontal line high above his head, "and then when the time comes, there is no decay," and he dramatically drops his hand quickly downward, indicating the sudden death from several decades of a high standard of health.
"square the curve." upon the drop of his hand, the audience eruped in a good bit of laughter, and the speaker's timing was such that his delivery allowed for a spot of humor.
most all of us have a tendency to laugh at mortality--freud and others have concluded that this is a natural means of coping with the thought--so sure, a little chuckle is fine. but i was rather unnerved with the thought of how many people in the audience really didn't get the message, that the speaker was just beating a dead horse about health.
i wanted to storm the stage with a mic: "jesus christ listen! get this in your brain! don't let yourself go out like this! lack of action is acceptance of fate, and for a majority of the populous, that fate isn't pretty!"
i was not born fit--look at my family photos. i was not fated to be a marathoner--look at my family tree. but i am a marathoner, largely because of actions that i took 10, 15 years ago (whether i realized the importance of those actions at the time or not). i have watched--and am watching--family and loved ones let their health and longevity slip through their fingers, and it kills me. it pains me to think of what the future could hold. maybe it pains me more to think what the future could hold, but won't.
and when i hear of someone making a difference for themselves--starting a new activity, changing a diet, kicking a habit--indeed, i really am excited as i lead on to be. square that curve.
* being that his clinic is based in dallas, tx, i have had the pleasure of seeing dr. kenneth cooper speak on two separate occassions. a medical doctor with a military background, he now focuses all of his energy on the health problems that plague US society today. he delivers his messages with speed, passion, a oklahoman military drawl, and most importantly, hard empirical data. his work literally is the reason why trans fats are being exorcised out of the american diet. in the '60s, he literally wrote the book on aerobics--a wickedly radical concept at the time not accepted by a majority of his peers, now the cornerstone of a lifestyle for millions of americans. if you ever have the chance to hear him speak or read any of his publications, i encourage it by all means.
yeah, i don't want to die slowly over a period of a decade or two. that sounds like torture.
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Hair Thingies |
5:45 PM
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