I recently had the privilege of attending the Body Works Vital Exhibit at Faneuil Hall in Boston compliments of my girlfriends recent Groupon purchase. What an absolutely awesome experience it was to say the least and reminder of just how incredible our bodies are with all that is does for us and provides us with. A reminder of just how delicate our bodies are and how we must not abuse it, neglect it, or take it for granted.

The Human Body Is A Marvel.
Simple Yet, Complex,
Vulnerable Yet Resilient,
It’s Built To Move, To Reach For, To Strive.

Our bodies are made up of a series of checks and balances that are always hard at work making sure we are operating all full capacity and as efficiently as possible. Even when we aren’t so nice to our own bodies (eating junk food, alcohol consumption, dehydration, not sleeping, over training), it still continues to work its ass off for us to make sure that all continues to work and function properly. It seems only fitting then that we work just as hard for our bodies in return by feeding it correctly, giving it the proper nutrients, rest, and exercise necessary to operate at optimal capacity.

After leaving the exhibit, I was overwhelmed with all sorts of different feelings, thoughts, and ideas about how we, as individuals treat our bodies. It was at this point that the following question crossed my mind…..

If abusing or neglecting our bodies were a crime, would we be guilty?

Let’s ponder this idea for a minute. Crime as we know it is defined as an act or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law. It’s also defined as a grave offense especially against morality.

There are laws that have been created and written to protect people from being harmed by others.

There are other laws that have been created and written to protect against the neglect of children and vulnerable adults. For example, leaving your child in the car (even animals for that matter) while you go into a store could be considered neglect.

With this in mind, I can’t help but wonder the following:

1. Could we be held responsible for acts that constitute an offense against ourselves and our own mortality?

1. Could allowing your child to eat whatever it is they chose, allowing them little to no exercise, and becoming obese be considered neglect?

2. If laws ban the possession of certain drugs for our safety and our well being, why then are foods that contribute to obesity also not banned?

We are cited for numerous traffic violations, cited if we litter or jaywalk, cited for driving under the influence or public intoxication. Corporations are cited if they do not comply with certain health standards and codes. All of these citations and many more are issued as a way to protect us from hurting ourselves or others and to establish and maintain safe neighborhoods, communities, states, countries, a safe world as a whole.

With this in mind, I can’t help wonder the following:

1. Why are citations not issued if we do not follow the Recommended Daily Allowances put forth by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences.

2. Why are we not cited for exceeding our recommended weight and body fat ranges based on our age, height, weight, etc.

3. Why are parents not cited for allowing or contributing to their child’s detrimental food habits and lack of activity and exercise that leads to childhood obesity.

“Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.”

– Winston Churchill –

Perhaps it should be mandatory for everyone to have a yearly physical or health screening. Make it a civic duty for our own well being and the well being of all humanity. Maybe we should issue citations to everyone who does not oblige, or who are not within their recommended BMI parameters, or cite parents whose children are also not within their recommended BMI ranges and not getting the recommended 30 minutes of daily physical activity. Extreme? Perhaps. How far then do we go, can we go, and should we go to protect ourselves and all of humanity?

Obesity and overweight have reached alarming rates in the U.S.
34% of adult Americans and 16% of children and adolescences are obese.*

*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

There is no bigger responsibility and commitment than that of our own health and well being.

TUNE YOUR BODY

Our body is designed to move.
A complex scaffolding of muscles and bones
allows us to achieve remarkable feats
of coordination and balance.

Our sedentary lifestyles have made
modern life much more comfortable,
but our bodies have become sluggish and lazy.

Regular exercise has multiple benefits.
It strengthens muscles and bones,
keeps the joints flexible,
reduces fat deposits,
stimulates the brain,
and reinforces the immune system
to protect the entire body against diseases
and the effect of aging on a long-term basis.

Due to its many positive effects,
regular exercise is the true fountain of youth.
Studies show that middle-aged people
who have never exercised on a regular basis
appear up to 20 years older physiologically
than their active peers.

Text Credit: Body Works Vital

“Sorry, there’s no magic bullet. You gotta eat healthy and live healthy to be healthy and look healthy. End of story.”

– Morgan Spurlock –

So, what would your verdict be?

What do you do daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly that contributes to being healthy and looking healthy? Please share your ideas and successes with me in the comments below. I would love to hear about it.