At my diet group meeting yesterday, our instructor read an article from a local paper about obesity. We discovered that the Hanover/York area (just south of where I live in Pennsylvania) ranks 4th in the country for having the most obese people. Sheesh! It's so bad that the EMS folks have had to change their rules to increase the number of technicians that they have to now have on a call so they have enough to lift the injured person without putting the technicians at risk from trying to lift a heavy "object." Their EMS techs were getting too many back injuries from hoisting heavies. Hospitals and ambulances are having to order wider and stronger reinforced gurneys. Oh, my!
It didn't really surprise us all that much to find out that our area ranks pretty high up there for obese people. After all, Hanover is one of the snack capitals of the U.S. They have potato chip manufacturing and pretzel making down to a fine art. And if you are at all familiar with Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, you know that it elevates one major food group - Carbohydrates!
Our instructor went on to read the rest of the "Top Ten" area in the country for obesity. It didn't surprise me at all that Montgomery, Alabama was at or near the top of the list. We were quite surprised that two areas in California made No. 2 and No. 3. But my heart kind of sank when I discovered that Flint, Michigan came in at No. 5. Oh, my! I grew up in the Flint, Michigan area...spending my school months each year in that area but my summers on the farm in Minnesota.
It's no wonder that I seem to be on a perpetual struggle with my weight. I went from the fifth most obese area in the country to the fourth most obese area in the country. Personally, I think it is just one more good reason to move to Texas. Yup, that just made so much sense to me as I was munching on my donut this morning over a cup of coffee. Ah, sugar! The inspiration in my DNA!
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