Sitting To Death

The first story we were going to publish when we returned was going to be the story featured on ABC News which called it "Sitting Linked to Dying Early - Link Is Independent of Exercise, Obesity and Other Factors. So What Gives?"

We call it "the great wake the hell up and get you butt out of that seat now" news. It reminds us of the scene from the movie T2 (Terminator 2 where the now Governor of California says: "Come with me if you want to live!" You're scared as all get out because you're thinking this information is from the source that wanted to kill me. If you're still alive and reading this you might want to know the specifics before you "get your butt out of the seat". We know and we're still sitting but we've always been hard behind-ed. We hope you aren't but if you're like us you probably are.
We'll get up Mom, just five more minutes (actually we really mean - leave us the hell alone we're going to live forever we don't care what you say!) The facts are specifically and not generally:

"...queried by questionnaire on 53,440 men and 69,776 women who were disease free at enrollment. The authors identified 11,307 deaths in men and 7,923 deaths in women during the 14-year follow-up. After adjustment for smoking, body mass index, and other factors, time spent sitting (>6 vs. <3 hours/day) was associated with mortality in both women (relative risk = 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25, 1.44) and men (relative risk = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.24). Relative risks for sitting (>6 hours/day) and physical activity (<24.5 metabolic equivalent (MET)-hours/week) combined were 1.94 (95% CI: 1.70, 2.20) for women and 1.48 (95% CI: 1.33, 1.65) for men, compared with those with the least time sitting and most activity. Associations were strongest for cardiovascular disease mortality. The time spent sitting was independently associated with total mortality, regardless of physical activity level. Public health messages should include both being physically active and reducing time spent sitting." (American Journal of Epidemiology) 

Why risk it? Why take a chance and the difference in sitting and not is most apparent in women than men but its obviously important and though its a questionnaire response its not twenty or even twenty thousand and its not a five year review or even a ten year review its over one hundred thousand and over fourteen years. We can say its not that important but the reality hard as it is to accept is that when Dr. Oz says you need to get 10,000 steps a day to maintain optimum health he's probably right and we probably need to heed his advice. As hard a pill as that might be to swallow.

Follow your doctor's advice, if you want to live. It sucks we know. But the facts are the facts. Though we sit more than six (6) hours a day whether working at our desk or sitting before the screen silver or tiny its effects can only be compounded. The only thing we can think to do is to offer to seek ways to maximize our efforts with the minimal amount of pain. It's old news but considered we haven't' posted for so long we felt this would be the story to lead with as we explain our absence from the site. We hate exercising. What should you do? Dr. Oz has some suggestions.

The Air Truth

What can you do? We're not going to be afraid. We CAN handle the truth. Until we get the truth and its too much for us to handle. The truth is TOO much for us to handle. The truth is in our environment regardless of how well we take care of ourselves we're being attacked by unseen attackers in our air and seeping into our water supply. Yes, many are filtered out but when we're breathing it in and expelling it out. On our skin and on our clothes.

We intended to include information from one of our favorite shows that we almost never watch, the Doctor Oz show. We don't watch the show because we really CAN'T handle the truth. We want to until Dr. Mehmet Oz tells us we have to do what we don't want to do to keep us healthy and alive. When he shows us the affects of our inaction its overwhelming sometimes. When he doesn't give us the information directly and like PearlieMae directs us to the truth. It's when we CAN'T handle it.

"A person's cancer risk can be reduced in other ways by receiving regular medical care, avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol use, avoiding excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun and tanning beds, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, and being physically active. "(Center for Disease Control and Prevention)

This is the most obvious individual ways of personal responsibility. We call this blaming the victim. We don't want to blame you we want to communicate with you in the most effective way to encourage you to do what you can do to have a better and healthy life. PearlieMae would say the family was trying to control her. We would never do that. We give you the information and hopefully we can do it, like the good Doctor, and you'll be inspired to do what you want to do in a way that improves the quality of your life.

The other way is what's where you live. And we mean in your community. Not what you're told because all that's here is what's in your neighborhood detected and reported by your local or the federal government. What's too much to handle is the specific effects of the things detected.

"The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), based in Atlanta, Georgia, is a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ATSDR serves the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and diseases related to toxic substances." (CDC)

What you'll find we have to warn you might be more truth than you can handle. We'll admit its' more than we can handle so we'll bury our heads in the sand and act as if it doesn't matter. Yes, we know it does. We're just not ready for this much truth. Even the site and the government doesn't do that. But the next time you're not feeling well and you're off from work - just pull up this site and see what's going on especially if your neighbors are feeling the same symptoms.

"I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord" - Phil Collins "In The Air Tonight"

You know there's more don't you that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Once you tear away a piece of the veil you eyes are wide open. Can you stand to read moreeee? We can't. The same Center for Disease Control and Prevention that brought us the above information also tells us that there are other little nasties out there at a rate of early 1,100 food borne outbreaks reported nationally in 2007 which works out to more than three a day (365 days in a year x 3 = 1095).

CDC Report looks at Foods and Foodborne agents associated with Outbreaks in the United States - "A total of 1,097 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported in 2007 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a CDC analysis. State investigators reported 21,244 illnesses and 18 deaths as a result of these outbreaks. The report also provides the most recent data on how many illnesses were linked to specific types of foods." (CDC)

If that's not enough even if you survive all the diseases, local toxins, foul air, and every other nasty out there. Say you make it safely home every day, God willing and the creek don't rise. You can be placed at risk by accidents that happen to other people. Were not talking health care so much as health care costs that affect your health by their very expensiveness.

"...injuries, both fatal and nonfatal, to people riding in cars and light trucks cost $70 billion a year. Injuries to motorcyclists cost $12 billion. Bicyclists and pedestrians, who are vulnerable against motor vehicles, cost $5 billion and $10 billion a year respectively, the CDC said." (CNN)

And then you die. Again not to make you fearful but unlike the young and the very young at heart, taking risk while behind the wheel, such as driving aggressively or even too timidly or texting / talking while on the phone, all can lead to higher cost (both physical and fiscal) and less effective emergency department services for those not so distracted.