Kentucky is fat. And not just a little fat. We rank fifth among the fifty states with the highest percentage of obese residents. Yup, it turns out all that bourbon and beer cheese has gone straight to our waistlines and 31.3 percent of us are obese. Maybe that's why our Governor was so determined to get the Affordable Care Act rolled out quickly and efficiently in Kentucky. With obesity numbers like that we need all the health care we can get.
Another interesting statistic is that four of the five states with the lowest obesity rates - Montana, Utah, Nevada, and Colorado - are western states known for their natural beauty and a culture of appreciating the Great Outdoors. So why isn't that the case for us in the Commonwealth? We have as much natural beauty as any of those posers out west. I'd put Red River Gorge up against the Wasatch Range any day. Yeah, their mountains are bigger but ours our older, more accessible, and home to greater biodiversity. We should be out every weekend hiking at Natural Bridge State Resort Park or canoeing on the Kentucky River. Lack of access to the outdoors is no excuse.
So what is it then? Are we lazier than our western counterparts? We are a busy people, deeply committed to our family units. We take kids to t-ball or dance, we attend church multiple times each week, and we even visit our elders (well, most of us). Add to that our strong work ethic and there isn't much time for working off the calories from that Friday fish fry with the neighbors.
Changing our place in that ranking of the fifty states is going to take a cultural upheaval. Starting with one of us and then ten of us and then 100 of us we have to decide as a people that health is a priority. That's one of the reasons I'm Pounding Poverty - because somebody has to be first. People keep telling me that I'm brave but really I'm just desperate. I'm dying (literally, if I don't change my health) to see a change in myself but also in my community and my state. We can do this. We have the infrastructure and the work ethic. We just have to make health a priority. Maybe your child doesn't have to be at all four baseball practices that week if it gives you time to hit the gym. Maybe you can spare the extra 20 minutes it takes to cook a meal at home instead of hitting the drive through on the way out. So many people tell me they can't afford a gym membership but spend $100 a month on TV and more than that on phones in their household. Priorities.
It has to start somewhere so why not with me? Why not with you? We can do this, Kentucky. Let's show those westerners how we roll in the Commonwealth! And please, don't eat the roll.
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