The Blackboard
(October 2002)

“The Fair, Fun, & Food”
By Ron Jones, MS

Well it’s that time of the year again—the county fair.  I always look forward to going to the fair and seeing people having fun.  Having fun is a major part of holistic health.  Health is more than just physical fitness—you have to have some fun too and rejuvenate yourself mentally and socially.  Unfortunately, going to the fair is also something I struggle with each year because so many people in Bakersfield are severely overweight, obese, and unfit.  There is no better place to see so many unhealthy people (young and old alike) than the fair.  It’s not that a person can’t enjoy some cotton candy or a cinnamon roll (even I go for the yearly fair cinnamon roll!).  Obviously many people in this town are eating all year long like it’s party time.  How many times do you actually think about what effect food you are eating will have on your body before you put it in your mouth?  Here’s a tip.  Instead of just looking at food as a way to quickly satisfy hunger urges—think about what that food you’re getting ready to eat is going to do to your body—BEFORE you eat it!  Will it be “empty calories” that pack in a lot of fat and sugar calories but not much nutrition?  Will it be something nutritious that is going to help your body function more efficiently?  Just learning to “think about” what you are about to eat is a good way to start improving your diet choices. 

Watching people move at the fair is also interesting.  Bakersfield people move much too slow—especially our children.  Many here are simply too unfit and unhealthy to move much faster.  I just returned from New York City where I spent a week—WALKING FAST!  People walk a lot in New York!  And guess what?  I hardly saw any obese people.  There were overweight people, but they were fit enough to walk fast up and down the subway stairs and about New York City.  People just move more in New York and move faster.  The more you move, and the faster you move, the more health benefits in terms of physical activity.  It is not acceptable to have so many obese, overweight, and unfit people…it’s just not good for our community, our country, our financial security, or the well-being of the individuals struggling with these health issues.  Enjoy the fair and have fun…but remember the old English proverb…“Don’t dig your own grave with your own knife and fork.”

 RonJones.Org | Back to Current Comments | Site Map

                      Get Fit.  Be Strong.
                                 Corporate Wellness · Consulting · Health Promotion