I am rather libertarian in my attitude about how people treat their health. If someone asks me for my opinion, then surely I will likely recommend that they eat more vegetables and less meat, exercise at least 30 minutes a day, drink more water, stop smoking, get smarter about your health and you’ll live a more satisfying life. Would I mandate that through policy or regulation? Absolutely not. If you want to sit at home and move as little as possible except when you need to gorge yourself with saturated fats and tobacco, then I say “go for it”, just don’t make your health issues my concern. You are an adult, you can decide what is right for you, but if you decide wrong, don’t ask me to pay for your mistake. Some folks say that position is naïve, while I say it goes to the heart of being an adult with free will.

Where I do become frustrated is when people play the victim because of their health issues. I’m not talking about those folks who really are victims. Case in point, last week I heard about a person who succumbed to lung cancer and they never smoked. That is a victim. I’m talking about the folks who eat poorly, don’t exercise, and then complain about a list of ailments related to their poor diet and lack of exercise. If you are one of these people, the sympathy shoulder does not write for this blog.

Conversely, the folks I find motivating are the ones who look at themselves and say, “I know I can do better than this,” and they take it upon themselves to fix the issue that is holding them back.

I found this wonderful story on Runners World from Lisa Delaney, titled “Shedding the Past” and she talks about how she went from a self professed 185lbs. “fat girl” to 115lbs. runner, and the discoveries she made about herself. Read about Lisa here: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--13107-0,00.html

I love these sorts of stories as they show us that there is the power within every individual to make a positive change in their lives. The power is not given or taken from outside of you, but resides within you.