Hometown area continuing to impress
Oh wait, no it’s not. I’m originally from Indiana, a place that I am happy to leave behind, although it is nice to visit every now and then and see family and friends. That being said, Elkhart and the county it is in (which bears the same name and which is where I am from) is in dire economic straits, as the unemployment rate there is around 18% give or take. “Msnbc.com is focusing long-term coverage on the city of Elkhart, Ind. to provide perspective on the national recession.” Most of the county is/was a one-trick pony, that trick being the Recreational Vehicle industry. Elkhart County actually makes more RVs than any other place in the world (that’s your useless fact for the day). Of course, when gas prices went up and the economy bottomed out, not many people wanted RVs and thus their market went down with lots of the RV companies closing their doors.
All that being said, I’m continually amazed at how um…stupid (for lack of a better term) people’s ideas are around there. Growing up there, I just recall some of the ridiculous ideas people came up with for businesses or entertainment that they thought would work and then didn’t last long. This is one of them. I know people need to hear some positive news and keep their hopes up, etc., but how about making something that’s useful and donating that money to charity? At least then people would get something out of it. Oh hometown area, you continue to impress me.
And while I’m on the home state, obesity rankings from a study by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation came out this week and Indiana ranks at 16th most obese. Congratulations. But has anyone ever checked the Body Mass Index rates? They’re ridiculous. Who can fit into these? I am technically overweight. Yeah, this guy is overweight. I’m 5′11″ and weighed myself today at the gym and was 183. Of course some of that is muscle as I lift weights regularly. And that is noted at the NIH’s website, but even without the weight from muscle, I’d probably just barely be in the normal weight category. Checking the range, I could go down to about 135 pounds and still be within normal weight. Who the hell is almost six feet tall and weighs 135 pounds?! Fuck the BMI. I wonder if it was a little more realistic how much the obesity rates would change to be perhaps more sane. That’s not to say I deny there are LOTS of overweight people in the U.S. but I think the way it’s computed right now is kind of messed up. Furthermore, I understand there are limitations to the study, but there are reasons why people are overweight and it’s not always as simple as they eat too much. One example noted at the Trust For America’s Health page is as follows:
The current economic crisis could exacerbate the obesity epidemic. Food prices, particularly for more nutritious foods, are expected to rise, making it more difficult for families to eat healthy foods. At the same time, safety-net programs and services are becoming increasingly overextended as the numbers of unemployed, uninsured and underinsured continue to grow. In addition, due to the strain of the recession, rates of depression, anxiety and stress, which are linked to obesity for many individuals, also are increasing.
Those are some big stipulations. Obviously some extreme measures will need to be taken to address the vast amount of overweight and obese people in our country but the answers sure won’t be real easy to come by nor will it be one size fits all (uh, no pun intended).
