I didn’t grow up in Kansas, but that’s where I’ve returned for the holidays for the past six years. Each time, it saddens me to see the prevalence of overweight and obese people in stores and restaurants. I am forced to realize that this vision is a far truer representation of the state of our nation than the typical svelte and health-conscious resident of Boulder, Colorado, where I live. While I live in my little “bubble” here in Boulder – where nearly everyone seems to enjoy some sort of regular exercise and being vegetarian seems almost normal – the majority of the nation is struggling with excess weight and a lack of motivation to pump iron or pound the pavement.
No image has quite so dramatically captured the true epidemic proportion of obesity in our nation as that depicted on pages 158-9 of the December 2009 issue of Self Magazine. Four maps illustrate the past decade’s trend toward a more obese population by showing in red the states that have more than a 15 percent obesity rate (obesity is defined as being 30 pounds overweight). In 2008 four states fell into this category. Now? Only six states do NOT fall into this category.
Colorado is one of these states. So is Massachusetts, the state in which I lived before moving here. No wonder I still find it amazing to see so many overweight, inactive individuals when I go to Kansas – more than 15 percent of the population there has been obese since at least 2005, according to statistics from the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP). Not that this is unusual. CDCP statistics also indicate that 58% of all adult Americans are overweight, and of those, 20% are obese.
In fact, a number of scary statistics are available simply by logging on and visiting the CDCP Web site. Did you know that 300,000 people die each year from nutrition and inactivity-related causes? Or that the economic costs of obesity add up to nearly $100 billion annually? What about the rapid increase of obesity among young people, which has leapt more than seven percent in the past 30 years?
Now you’re probably wondering what, if anything, this whole obesity problem has to do with outdoor adventure sports. But I’d venture to say that one potential key solution to this problem, at least for some individuals, lies within this realm.
In a culture that seems to be moving more and more rapidly away from community and into isolation – what with computers and home offices – people often lack the support networks needed to embark on exercise programs. Our society also seems enamored with living vicariously, not only through movies, video games and online romances, but also in the very forms of exercise to be found at gyms, from stair climbers to treadmills. We’ve taken the reality out of life’s activities and instead, we turn to machines and turn our minds off. This is becoming even more apparent with the influx of exercise machines that provide convenient distractions – from television to Internet connections – distractions that serve to separate people from the other gym-bound individuals who are exercising around us as well as from their own bodies.
Adventure sports can work to counter these negative and isolating influences of modern culture while fostering a passion and an appreciation for the value of preserving our natural environment. These types of activities serve to reconnect people – both adults and children – to the enjoyment of physical activity with others in the outdoor environment.
From rock climbing to kayaking, mountain biking to trail running, such activities depend on partnership and trust, as all of these endeavors are not wisely undertaken alone. They require an interaction with the external environment, a responsiveness to one’s surroundings and an awareness of one’s own body in space. Just try to check your e-mail or think about your next big presentation at work while you’re ascending a climbing wall or paddling a class IV rapid – fat chance, right? An added bonus to involvement in adventure sports is a greater appreciation of the value of preserving our natural environment – a critical value to instill in today’s information-glutted youth.
I think many obese and/or inactive people view all forms of physical activity with dread, not realizing how fulfilling and pleasurable they can be, how they can draw people out into a community, how they can foster a sense of mind-body unity and erase everyday cares, if only for a while. So much of what’s proffered out there as exercise options comes off as boring and unmotivating. But I believe the real answer to finding an activity program and sticking to it lies in discovering a passion for an activity and a group of friends who make that activity even more enjoyable. Finding an adventure sport that takes you out of your realm and introduces you to the joys of mind/body integration can be a life-changing discovery.
Of course, there are plenty of barriers to getting more Americans involved in such sports, from prohibitive costs, lack of facilities, lack of incentive and disbelief in personal abilities, to name a few. Generally speaking, it’s also far easier to change the habits of children and to get them involved than it is to change adults – kids, on the whole, are less self-conscious and more willing to try new activities. This is why programs for kids – such as City Cliffs, Climbing for Life, and Girlz in the Wood – are so important. Such programs encourage kids – many of whom would otherwise not have the resources to participate in such sports – to take part in outdoor activities with a community orientation.
What else can be done? Getting friends, co-workers and family members to try out your favorite outdoor adventure sport and imbuing them with some of your passion is one way to spread the joy, enhanced health, and community that can be discovered through such pursuits. Donating money to organizations that support the pursuit of such activities is another. I know that here in Boulder, nearly everyone seems to be involved in some sort of outdoor athletic pursuit, but if you live in a place where that’s not the case (or you visit such a place regularly), you can work to make people aware of the natural resources in their surrounding environment.
In Kansas, for example, I realize that the opportunities for outdoor rock climbing are few and far between. However, some indoor facilities do exist. Nearer to my parents’ place (in Lawrence) however, several fun and challenging mountain biking trails exist – making for a great opportunity to both enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise. Making people aware of such opportunities and helping them make being active a part of their daily routines is one of the greatest challenges currently faced by our nation.
We can tackle the problem of obesity, but it will take a monumental effort and the actions of many individuals. Despite all of the information out there and the constant attention to new nutrition guidelines and exercise recommendations given by the government, Americans are just getting fatter and fatter. But with some grassroots activities, some inspiration from people who truly love and embrace outdoor adventure sports, perhaps a change can be made from the bottom up as individuals share their passions with other individuals. Imagine what a difference it would make if each of us could help just one other individual become a committed outdoor enthusiast this year!