Walk, Cycle, Be Active

During this month that features the Tour-de-France it is fitting to mention a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirming that bicycling, like brisk walking, is effective in preventing weight gain. The study followed more than 18,000 women between 1989 and 2005. Those that bicycled more than 30 minutes per day were much less likely of gaining more than 5% of their body weight during the follow up period than those who were not physically active. Moreover, there was also evidence that benefits were achieved in those who started bicycling as little as 5 minutes per day. Not everyone is able to jog or walk briskly due to chronic knee or hip pain. However, many of these people are be able to bicycle/exer-cycle without orthopedic flare-ups. Bottom line: get out and do something nearly every day to prevent weight gain and the health problems that accompany it.

Obesity Numbers Worsen: "Experts" avoid most obvious factors

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently released its annual report on obesity in the United States. It found to no one's surprise that obesity rates continue to increase in 28 of the 50 states. The report goes on to speculate about the meaning of various factors and associations. They discuss East vs West, North vs South, rich vs. poor, white vs. black vs. brown, and the regional severity of economic down turns. Of course the underlying message behind the report and the media's interpretation of the results is that greater federal efforts are needed to curb this epidemic in girth. That's because the investigators and the media view everything through a socialist big government prism. If root causes and remedies do not lend themselves to the narrative of "inequality" (or just under the surface oppression and exploitation) they will not be considered. Indeed, I did not see any breakdown of the obesity numbers to single parent families, mothers working outside the home, or how involved fathers are in raising and directing their children's lives. I would also like to see how much the rate of obesity increases in people who go on Medicaid, food stamps, welfare and other government programs. My guess is that this would be staggering to the point that obesity is nearly inevitable. Alas, these questions are not asked or at least not reported by the media if they are asked at all because the big government-academic-journalistic complex would be forced to consider and acknowledge the breakdown of the family, the erosion of the work ethic, the marginalization of fatherhood, the exaltation of the working mother, and the transformation of public schools from centers of education to mere conduits for nanny state programs and leftist social experimentation as contributors. The government can continue to pour money into this crisis but until the root causes are addressed it will do nothing but further extend governmental power into individual lives and bankrupt the country.

Step It Up

A recent study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has shown that walking can reduce the incidence of the metabolic syndrome. Never mind that it is hotly debated whether the metabolic syndrome is actually syndrome, it is clear that its components of abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, high blood pressure and abnormal blood lipids are not conducive to a long and healthy life. In the study over 1400 people were monitored during their daily activities with accelerometers to determine their activity levels. The participants were categorized as sedentary (<5000),>10000) depending on how many steps they took each day. Not surprisingly 56% of those who were sedentary met criteria for the metabolic syndrome whereas only 13% in the highly active met criteria. Those in the somewhat active group were at intermediate risk for the syndrome. Simply put the more walking the better for metabolism which almost certainly reduces the risk for developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Although there is good evidence that humans were designed to run, walking seems to be a pretty good alternative.

The New Pac

As a Pac-8, Pac-10 and now Pac-12 fan all of my life I can't help but take a stab at the new football divisional alignments that will commence 2011. At first I was repulsed by the so-called "zipper" alignment, but now I find that it is makes too much sense to ignore. The alignments indicated below would be the most logical.

Under this system football schedules would have each team playing all the other teams within their division each year. They would also play 4 games against teams from the other division annually, one of those being their traditional rival. The fact that only two teams would be missed each year would also mean that no team would be left off the schedule more than one year. These particular groupings would also have the advantage of preserving other traditional and long running rivalries such as Washington vs. Oregon, UCLA vs. Cal, and Stanford vs. USC. Finally, it would maintain equal access for all schools to the recruit rich Southern California area.

One down side is that there is a slight chance that one of the rivalry games at the end of the season could be repeated a week later in the Conference Championship Game. Unlikely, but this possibility could be eliminated by playing the rivalry games earlier in the season and making sure that intra-divisional games are played the last week of the regular season.

Division A
Arizona
Stanford
Oregon State
USC
Washington State
Colorado

Division B
Arizona State
California
Oregon
UCLA
Washington
Utah

Will 2012 be too Late to Save America?

"If you believe that the end justifies the means, then you don't believe in Constitutional government. And, without Constitutional government, freedom cannot endure. There will always be a 'crisis'-- which, as the president's chief of staff has said, cannot be allowed to 'go to waste' as an opportunity to expand the government's power." -Thomas Sowell

Thomas Sowell's recent column entitled "Degeneration of Democracy" on Townhall has me thinking more about something that has been gnawing at me for several months. That is, how can the Obama administration continue to pursue such overwhelmingly unpopular policies? Indeed, his response has been to ramp up efforts to expand the reach and power of government even as his poll numbers sink into oblivion. Surely, the politicians in his circle have not completely lost their primary instinct of political survival? Or, might it be that they are confident that if they put into place a power structure no longer beholden to the constitution that they will not need to give up the reins of power? Are they creating a system that is no longer within the reach of the electorate? Might it be that they have no intention of relinquishing power in 2010 or 2012 even if they are voted out of office? Scary stuff for a country that has taken for granted for over two centuries that tyrannical usurpation either violent or soft could never happen in the United States.

John Wooden 1910-2010

This is a belated tribute to John Wooden who passed away over a week ago at the age of 99. I grew up rooting for a Pac-8 team not from Westwood, so I can't say I was ever a fan during his amazing coaching run at UCLA. Nevertheless, I could recognize, even at that young age, that I was observing not only an unbelievable achievement but a special human being. In later years as I learned more about this remarkable man and read a couple of his books my respect for him grew. He was a talented athlete and coach without a doubt. But, he was so much more and it is a tribute in itself that these aspects are usually not the first mentioned by those closest to him when asked to reminisce. Rather, what is usually revealed is a great love for for a man that epitomized integrity, honesty, compassion and humility. Indeed, I cannot remember ever hearing or reading a negative word about him. He had a deep faith in his Lord and his life was a marvelous witness to what a Christian man should aspire. Asked what he would like God to say when he arrived before him, Wooden replied, "Well done". I think that this was likely the response he received.

Wooden quotes

Happy Birthday Son!

Today is my youngest son's 11th Birthday. He has been a great joy to us and I pray that God will continue to bless and protect him in the coming year.

Vast Majority of Americans Opposed to Government Healthcare Takeover
The latest Rasmussen poll indicates more and more Americans (63%) favor repeal of Obamacare. This is the highest percentage yet recorded. It appears that everyday Americans are coming to recognize the great risk this law poses to their liberty, pocketbook and health. Not surprisingly the "political class" continues to favor (77%) the measure that would greatly expand government's reach into each of our lives. But, that is what the elites are all about, top down authoritarian rule to achieve their political agenda. Now that we know what "we the people" want the only question remaining is whether Republicans will have the courage to do the right thing when they take control of Congress in November?