Finding Health and Wellness in America
Health in America. It’s a topic that has been on my mind quite a bit lately. I’ve come to the conclusion that to have great health in America, you really have go against the grain. We live in an obesogenic environment. Our culture promotes weight gain and makes weight loss very difficult.
An experience I had in Europe several years ago helps prove the point. My husband and I were invited to go with some friends in England out to dinner. It was cold outside and we put on our coats and went and stood by our friend’s car. However, when they came out, they walked straight past the car and we all walked the mile or so to the restaurant. It wasn’t even an option for them to get in their car. Walking was a way of life.
Contrast that with the necessity of cars in America. The culture of driving everywhere. I actually spent 4 hours in the car driving my kids to all their practices a couple weeks ago. It’s not that uncommon. We just don’t move as much. Our cities aren’t built to be walkable. We don’t have a culture that promotes walking.
But we do eat as much. Portions at restaurants are enough to feed at least two people. Drinks like sodas have free refills. Even “healthy” foods like açaí bowls and smoothies are served oversized with more sugar than most people have any idea they are eating.
And then our culture of being so BUSY makes home cooked meals so difficult. Family dinners are replaced by driving kids to sports practices and games. Fast food drive thrus become the norm and lead us to say “I’ll figure this out later.” We spend so much time hustling that food and feeding in America is a total afterthought. We prize convenience above all else.
But then we look at our diminishing health, our expanding waist lines, and our exhaustion from it all and wonder why it’s so hard. It’s hard because our environment is hard. Finding good health in America means we have to do things differently than those around us. It means we have to plan ahead. We have to create a strategy for ourselves and our families. We have to say “no” more often to activities, to distractions, to easy fixes. And “yes” to daily movement, walking, home cooked meals, simple snacks, and down time.
Is it possible? Yes, of course. I truly believe that with awareness, a strategy, and then an actionable plan, we can create habits that allow us to find health and wellness no matter where we live. Habits result from sustained action that becomes “lifestyle change.” Lifestyle change results from taking a small step and then repeating it over and over.
If you feel lost and could use some help navigating health behavior change, find a dietitian that you trust and begin the process of change. You CAN feel good in your skin, you CAN nurture your family, and you can thrive in a culture that makes thriving not come naturally.
